Elijah Ngurare: I view the Africa-China Young Leaders Forum as a platform of laying a strong foundation for the future relationship between the youth of Africa and of China. Africa and China have a long history of friendship and cooperation. China has played an important role in supporting Africa to defeat colonialism and apartheid, and our view as young Africans is that China will play a positive and constructive role in helping Africans to gain full value of their economic and natural resources. It is fitting therefore that about 60 young people are expected to attend from all parts of the African continent in order to interact with their Chinese counterparts. The SWAPO Party and its government want to reciprocate the good hospitality and friendship offered to us by Chinese youths during previous Sino-Africa youth exchanges. It is also important that we use the platform as a tool to formalize relations between Chinese youth organizations and our own on the continent. In this regard we hope that the Pan-African Youth Union will feature more prominently in our engagements going forward.

What are your expectations of the forum?

The forum should plant the trees for future friendship and cooperation amongst the youth of Africa and China. In particular, we expect the forum to adopt a declaration encapsulating the aspirations of the African and Chinese youth for a lasting relationship technologically, culturally, socially, politically and economically. The 1955 Bandung Conference was a significant catalyst in strengthening the friendship of African and Asian people, particularly China. The legacy of friendship left to us by Nyerere, Nujoma, Tambo, Mondlane, Neto, Kaunda on the African front and Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou Enlai on the Chinese side, as well as many other leaders have been inspirational for us as African youth. We hope that the forum will serve as the basis for a new generation of engagement on the significant issues I have raised above.

How do the young people of Namibia see China and their Chinese counterparts?

At the moment a number of young people in Namibia see China as stereotyped by the Western media. Many young Namibians view their Chinese counterparts with artificial suspicion and resentment. Unfortunately, there have been little efforts in our view to change this wrong perception. It is our view as the SWAPO Party Youth League that China has made significant and important contributions to world civilization, and has continued this global leadership position by supporting Africa in its fight against colonization and apartheid. China without a doubt is the most significant driver of the nascent economic growth in Africa. China has tremendous challenges including the challenge of creating harmony amongst some 1.3 billion Chinese citizens. SPYL and our counterparts in other parts of Africa are committed to ensuring that all African youth understand and see China in this light. Therefore we shall strive to create an awareness aimed at forging friendship and cooperation with their Chinese counterparts. Our view is that a deliberate strategy needs to be devised for Namibian young people and their Chinese counterparts to step up exchange programs beneficial to both countries and peoples.

What is the importance of the exchanges of young people between China and African countries?

We regard it of paramount importance that young people of Africa and those of China seize upon the seeds of friendship planted by generations of African and Chinese leaders. The consolidation of economic, cultural and political ties between the African and the Chinese people is important for us as young people. Our expectations is that the current generation of young leaders will fortify a new era of cooperation based on the principles of mutual coexistence on emerging fronts such as trade, technology, education and training and other areas as I have mentioned before. The existing business relations should be cascaded downward so that young people also benefit from relations that are strong at party and government levels. We as young Namibians have a lot to learn from China.

Chinese leaders indicated that Sino-Namibian relations have set an example of friendly cooperation between China and African countries, and even among developing countries. How can Sino-Namibian friendship benefit the exchanges among young people in our two countries?

Chinese leaders are united in their resolve to advance friendly cooperation with many developed and developing countries in order to promote the national interests of the People's Republic of China without dictating the agenda to us as Africans. That recognition of equal partnership engenders respect from both sides. African leaders including Namibian leaders must learn and adopt the decisiveness with which China pursues and protects its national interests. Under the framework of FOCAC, it would be helpful for Namibian leaders at all levels to utilize the cooperation earmarked so as to benefit our two peoples.

What are the roles of the young people in the political, economic and social life of Namibia? What does the government do to help young leaders in their growth?

Over half of Namibia's population is made up of young people. As such, they remain key players in the political, economic and social life of Namibia.  To date at national, regional and local levels there are an infusion of young people in positions of decision making. Furthermore, on its part, government has established a ministry dealing with youth affairs and two statutory bodies geared toward molding the growth of young leaders. These institutions are the National Youth Council of Namibia and the National Youth Service. The NYC is also an important platform through which to groom our youth leaders, many of our cadres have served in the leadership of the youth council and have moved onto leadership positions in government and parliament. However with the support of various international development partners and with increased investments in youth development nationally, we hope to create more concrete programs to develop the leadership capacities of our youth.