The French Youth Delegation to Visit China under the WJF International Visiting Program for Youths

The French Youth Delegation visited China under the WJF International Visiting Program Youths from May 29 to June 9, 2017. During their stay in China, the French delegates visited four cities, respectively Beijing, Yinchuan, Hangzhou and Shanghai, exchanged ideas with young people from all walks of life in China, and made extensive contacts with Chinese government departments, local agencies, universities, policy think tanks, innovative companies, communities, and various nonprofit organizations.

I. Visits to the relevant government departments in China to learn about China at the government and policy level.

The French Youth Delegation visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on June 1, listened to the press conference, and interacted with the spokesperson. They held discussions with the Ningxia Foreign Affairs Office and the leaders of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on June 5, and conducted extensive and in-depth exchanges with the leaders of the Shanghai Municipal Development & Reform Commission on June 6. In the above activities, the members of the delegation not only witnessed and experienced personally the interaction between the MFA spokesperson and the media, but also developed an in-depth understanding of the policy for the development of central and western China and the development policy for the developed regions in the east.

II. Dialogues with industry leaders, famous scholars and experts for a close contact with new trends in thinking.

The delegation members met and talked with China's chief WTO negotiator Long Yongtu, former Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Ronghua, President of CFAU Qin Yaqing, former Chinese ambassador to Lebanon Liu Zhiming, Inspector of Shanghai DRC Wang Sizheng, CEC Executive Vice President Liu Donghua, CEC Secretary-General Cheng Hong, Qiaonyu Foundation Secretary-General Fang Yi and Yi Shu 8 founder Christine Cayol, the delegates got an vivid picture of China's macro economy and diplomacy, culture and the development of private Chinese enterprises, and at the same time refreshed their awareness of China in light of what they saw and heard.

III. Visits to well-known Chinese companies to be more intuitive to an open and developing China

The French Youth Delegation visited the association of business leaders --China Entrepreneur Club (CEC); Alibaba, China's largest e-commerce platform; Wanda Group, a pioneer in complex investment, operation management; Fosun Group, a leading company focused on dynamics in China; Oriental Landscape Group, a large ecology business platform, Ningxia Baofeng Energy, a leading enterprise in western China, and the time-honored Jinjiang Group. These companies operate in different sectors, while each of them plays an important role in China's economy. Through the visits, the delegates learned about their globalization blueprint and gained a deeper understanding of China's reform and opening up. At the same time, they became more aware of private companies and private entrepreneurs—the vital factors of China's economic development.

IV. Visits to various entrepreneurial platforms to experience the trend of " Mass entrepreneurship and innovation " in China, as well as the entrepreneurial passion of the young Chinese generation.

The French Youth Delegation visited iconic youth entrepreneurship bases such as the Tsinghua University X-lab, Wework, and the Dream Town, witnessing the vibrant wave of entrepreneurship in China, and learned about the Chinese government's policy of supporting entrepreneurship. The trend of "mass entrepreneurship and innovation" can "not only create jobs and increase residents' income, but also help promote vertical social mobility and fairness and justice," and "enable people to better pursue their spiritual goals and personal values in the process of creating wealth." The delegates were touched by this entrepreneurial passion.

V. Interaction and exchange with Chinese youths to enhance friendship between young people of China and France

During their visit to China, the French Youth Delegation held a sodality meeting with fellow CFAU students in Beijing, participated in a summary symposium with the theme of "Chinese and Chinese youth in my eyes" at Shanghai Theatre Academy, and had extensive and enthusiastic discussions with the students of Fudan University and Shanghai Jiaotong University. These activities enhanced the mutual understanding and consolidated the friendship between the young people of China and France.

VI. In-depth field survey with contacts at the grassroots level to experience the lives of ordinary people.

During their stay in Ningxia, the delegates visited the desert control project and the local charities, and experienced the culture and social life of the local people, where they had an on-site understanding of central and western China, as well as the immense potential of the region. They also walked into the alleys of Shanghai to see the advanced community governance model and community culture, acquiring a three-dimensional perception of the texture of Shanghai, an international metropolis.