“The 2018 Youth Conference of Boao Forum for Asia” was inaugurated at the Hong Kong Wanchai Convention and Exhibition Center on November 8th. President Li Yong was invited as a distinguished guest to attend the conference and deliver a speech in the conference. The forum takes "China and the world of reform and opening up" as the topic, focuses on the achievements of the country in the past 40 years of reform and opening up, and discusses how young people can act according to circumstances and share the opportunities of the construction of bay area of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

Li Baodong,Secretary-General of Boao Forum for Asia, said in his speech that the best way to commemorate the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up is to push forward a new round of reform and opening up, open the door wider and carry out the reform to the end. He sent a message to the young people of Hong Kong, saying that they should be ambitious, have no end in learning, and strive to be worthy of their youth, and hoping that young people should strive to be pioneers in a new round of reform and opening up.

In her speech, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mrs Carrie Lam, stressed that over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, the country has developed at an amazing speed and played an important international role in politics, science and technology, environmental protection and other fields and made positive contributions. She expects young people in Hong Kong to look beyond Hong Kong and explore opportunities outside Hong Kong to broaden their horizons and understand the world.

In his speech, Wang Zhimin, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central Government in Hong Kong, said that Hong Kong has always played an important role in the course of 40-year history of reform and opening-up. Generation after generation, our compatriots in Hong Kong have carried forward the spirit of loving our country and Hong Kong, making unremitting efforts for self-improvement, striving for progress and adapting to changes flexibly. In keeping with the trend of economic globalization, we must be proactive and seize opportunities. In the crucial period and key stage of the new round of national reform and opening up, Hong Kong should seize new historical opportunities and realize its new development by integrating into the overall situation of national development, and the younger generation should pass on the torch and carry forward the spiritual qualities of the older generation.

“Youth Conference of Boao Forum for Asia” was jointly organized by Boao Forum for Asia and “Hong Kong Elite Club” which is a Hong Kong youth organization. Since 2009, the Forum has invited political and business leaders and experts from Hong Kong, the mainland and around the world to participate in annual dialogues with young people on Asian economic trends, youth development, education, science, technology, innovation, creativity and so on.

During the conference, President Li Yong also had cordial talks with Carrie Lam (Hong Kong Chief Executive), Arroyo (Philippine Speaker of the House of Representative), Li Baodong (Secretary-General of Boao Forum for Asia), Wang Limin (Director of the Liaison Office of the Central Government in Hong Kong), Xie Feng (Special of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong, Chairman of Hong Kong Elite Association), Zhuang Jiabin (President of Zhuang Group) and other old and new friends for deep mutual understanding.

The Launch Ceremony of 2018Youth Conference of Boao Forum for Asia

President Li Yong took a photo as a memento in front of the back board of 2018Youth Conference of Boao Forum for Asia

President Li Yong made a speech in 2018Youth Conference of Boao Forum for Asia, as a distinguished guest

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam made a speech in 2018Youth Conference of Boao Forum for Asia

President Li Yong took a group photo with Chairman of Hong Kong Elite Association and President of Zhuang Group Zhuang Jiabin