The closing ceremony of the second China-Africa Young Leaders' Forum is held in Beijing, June 19, 2012. [By Guo Jiali/China.org.cn]

The second Africa-China Young Leaders Forum on June 19 culminated with the passing of the “Beijing Declaration”, calling on Chinese and African youths to continue to strengthen exchanges and contacts at different levels and launch a variety of cooperation programs.

At the forum’s closing ceremony, Namibian SWAPO Party Secretary General and Minister of Justice Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana thanked the Chinese and African delegates for making the event a success, emphasizing the urgency for continued youth initiatives.

“The youth from rural areas from both China and Africa must have space [for] future communication and cooperation,” she said.

Vice Minister Ai Ping of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee praised the efforts of delegates and stressed the continued need for multilateral government support of youth exchange programs between China and Africa.

“This youth platform has become a part of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and both [the] Chinese and African governments should give more consideration to the desire of Chinese and African youths when formulating the Beijing Action Plan 2013-2015, so that more youths will benefit from the cooperation,” Ai said.

Government leaders from both the Chinese and African sides, including Ai Ping, Zhou Changkui, Secretariat of the Central Committee of the China's Communist Youth League, and a representative from Namibia’s SWAPO party took questions from China.org.cn, Beijing Review and Beijing Youth Daily reporters at a press conference following the closing ceremony.