500 local youth sent to China on national education mission

A total of 500 young local residents have kicked off their visits across five Chinese provinces on an initiative described by the Chief Executive (CE) as a way to foster national education and the advancement of works relating to youth affairs.

Accompanied by officials of the SAR government and officials of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macau, the young people and the officials with them were divided into five delegations.

Each delegation will visit a single province on the mainland, namely either Hebei, Guizhou, Jiangsu, Guangdong or Hunan. The visits began yesterday and will last until July 25.

The visits are part of the celebrations of the two anniversaries: the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Macau SAR.

In Chui’s address at the pledging ceremony held at the Macao East Asian Games Dome on Saturday, the CE highlighted that the SAR government would continue to maximize its efforts in coordinating cross-departmental work relating to youth affairs.

The CE also highlighted that the SAR Government would “spare no effort in elevating Macau’s youth affairs work in line with implementation of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle.”

Chui raised three aspirations for those taking part in the visits to keep in mind, according to a statement issued by the Government Information Bureau.

“First, they should strengthen their awareness of national consciousness and patriotism. Second, they should be the backbone of the implementation of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle. Third, they should be a new force for achieving the goal of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” said Chui.

Meanwhile, the director of the Liaison Office, Fu Ziying, also gave a speech at the pledging ceremony, remarking that “the visits to mainland provinces were part of the effort to put into practice the important instructions from President Xi Jinping regarding youth development.”

He said that the central government is also paying attention to the personal development of the SAR’s youth.

As cited in the statement, the visits would not only boost young people’s awareness of national consciousness but also be a “display of Macau’s successful promotion of patriotic education.”

Also, Mok Chi Wai, the president of the committee comprising local youth associations responsible for organizing the mainland visits, has expressed hopes that the “young people would share their insights with peers regarding the experience they gained from the visits, and information about the latest progress within the country.”

A discussion session to share insights into the delegation visits will be held in Macau on August 3. LV

Chief Executive Chui Sai On