Youth representatives of China and Cyprus expressed on Thursday their commitment to work together to further advance the growth of China-Cyprus relations and build a community with a shared future for mankind, during the second day of the 3rd China-Cyprus Youth Forum, which took place at the European University Cyprus in Nicosia.

In his opening remarks, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Cyprus Liu Yantao said that the Forum is held under the framework of the China-Cyprus strategic partnership and Sister City Alliance and under the theme of “China and Cyprus: Work Together for a Shared Future”, where youth representatives exchange views on mutual learning between civilizations, digital transformation and green development.

“China has all along been committed to the progress of human civilizations. In the course of pursuing Chinese modernization, we are also contributing our wisdom and proposals to making the world an even better place”, he continued, adding that in this context China is calling for equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness between civilizations, for inclusiveness, openness, fairness and security in digital transformation and for harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.

“These are the priorities of both China-Cyprus cooperation and China-EU cooperation. Importantly, China is committed to peaceful development as well as open, inclusive and win-win cooperation. We aim to build a community with a shared future for mankind”, he noted in that regard.

In closing, the Chinese ambassador said that as youth brings vast hopes, and young people create a better future, the China-Cyprus Youth Forum is a stage for young people of both countries. “You are expected to further deepen mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation, and jointly create a better future for China and Cyprus”, he concluded.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth Marina Ioannou Hasapi said that the Republic of Cyprus and the People’s Republic of China have managed over the years to build a friendly and meaningful bilateral relationship based on mutual respect and solidarity, “an excellent example of friendly relations between large and small countries in today's world”.

She added that the educational relations between Cyprus and China have been consistently upgraded in the last few years, referring to the signing of the agreement on the mutual recognition of higher education qualifications in 2017 and the Memorandum of Understanding in the fields of higher education and science in 2022 as important milestones in Cyprus-China relations.

She further noted that Cyprus is currently in the process of concluding two separate bilateral MoUs with China in the fields of education and sports.

On his part, the Rector of European University Cyprus Andreas Efstathiou said that the Forum explores how China and Cyprus can work together for a shared future, “making a significant contribution in strengthening the relations between the two countries”.

Referring to the university’s activities, he highlighted the first graduates from the international Digital Economy College, a joint initiative, as he said, with Minjiang University in China.

In the panel discussion that followed, issues of cultural heritage were first discussed, as well as ways of protecting local cultural elements as they have survived from antiquity to the present day, including by strengthening the relevant legal framework and the use of new technology tools such as artificial intelligence.

In the area of digital transformation, it was pointed out that digital technology not only promotes economic growth but also exchanges between people around the world. The contribution of digitalisation in improving innovation and productivity in the industrial sector was also highlighted.

On green growth, the need for harmonious coexistence of economic and cultural development with the protection of the natural environment was underlined, while the importance of cooperation between the public and private sectors in terms of developing and implementing sustainable policies respectively was also stressed.

Reference was also made to opportunities for cultural, educational and sports exchanges between China and Cyprus with a view to fostering mutual learning between the two peoples, as well as to promoting the exchange of know-how and investment between Chinese and Cypriot enterprises.

The Forum concluded with the Nicosia Declaration by China-Cyprus Youth, an expression of “commitment to advancing the growth of China-Cyprus relations and building a community with a shared future for mankind.”

In particular, it was stated that young people of the two countries shall “support, enhance and promote the China-Cyprus friendship”, and make sure “it will be carried forward from generation to generation.”

They will also “respect the diversity of civilizations, uphold equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations, and jointly promote humanity’s common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom.”

The declaration adds that “young people of the two countries are dedicated to science and technology innovation” and by fully leveraging their creativity, they “shall advance digital transformation of the two countries, contribute to world science and technology development, and help create a beautiful tomorrow for humanity.”

They shall also lead “a low-carbon, environment-friendly, inclusive and sustainable way of life, commit ourselves to fostering green productivity, and advance the all-round green transformation of the economy and society”, aiming to build “a beautiful home with harmonious coexistence between humanity and Nature.”

Finally, under the framework of China-Cyprus bilateral agreements and the Sister City Alliance, young people of the two countries “shall actively participate in exchanges and cooperation in fields such as economy, trade, education, culture and tourism”, thus injecting “youthful vigour to the friendship and practical cooperation between China and Cyprus.”

At the end of the event, Ambassador Yantao presented the Friendship Trophy to the representative of Nanjing, the Rotating Chinese Co-chair of the China-Cyprus Sister City Alliance.

The event was attended by representatives of the Larnaca and Paphos Municipalities, while Professor Kostas Gouliamos, recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award and Former Rector of European University Cyprus, also attended and addressed the Forum.