The 1st China-Africa Future Leaders' Dialogue was held both on-site and online on Nov 7, with Jinhua city – located in East China's Zhejiang province – as its branch venue. 

The event was co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries or CPAFFC, the Chinese-African People's Friendship Association or CAPFA and the Jinhua municipal government. 

More than 300 people took part, including representatives from the Africa Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CAPFA members and youth representatives from China and 48 countries in Africa. 

Lin Songtian, president of the CPAFFC, Rahamtalla Osman, the African Union's representative in China and Xing Zhihong, mayor of Jinhua, attended the activity and delivered speeches.

Rahamtalla Osman said young Africans, whose numbers were increasing rapidly, would play a pivotal role in transforming the continent and deepening China-Africa relations. By the middle of the century Africa's population is projected to double, with 60 percent of the total population under the age of 25.

The 1st China-Africa Future Leaders' Dialogue takes place on Nov 7. [Photo/WeChat account: jhfabu] 

The economic and trade exchanges between Jinhua and African countries are said to be very close and the folk cultural exchanges are very active. 

In 2020, Jinhua's import and export trade with African countries reached 79.78 billion yuan ($12.5 billion), said the city's mayor.

He added that the city was set to hold the 2021 China (Zhejiang) China-Africa Cultural Cooperation and Exchange Week & China-Africa Economic and Trade Forum on Nov 7-13, in a bid to establish a platform for communications and cooperation for people from all walks of life.