NAMIBIA: Wu Bangguo addresses youth forum (ZHAO YINGQUAN)

What is the definition of a young leader? In Magdalene Moonsamy's mind, young leaders are people who speak out and take active roles in society. They represent the concerns and views of their peers, concentrate on problem solving, and strive to make a difference.

Moonsamy, South Africa's African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) spokesperson, was among the 200-strong youth delegates attending the first-ever Africa-China Young Leaders Forum in Namibia. It provided a golden opportunity for youth from Africa and China to foster closer ties and discuss global issues of mutual concern.

The forum opened in Windhoek, the nation's capital, in late May. More than 200 delegates from China and 18 African countries such as Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Ghana and Zimbabwe attended the forum, which is jointly organized by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the SWAPO Party of Namibia.

Moonsamy applauded the CPC and SWAPO's efforts for holding such an open-minded forum.

"I have appreciated the achievements the CPC has made [in the past nine decades] and how China has managed to become the second largest economy in the world. It is amazing," Moonsamy told ChinAfrica.

Botswana's Kopo Mononi shared similar feelings. The deputy chairperson of Botswana's National Youth Executive Committee worked for the African branches of Chint Electrics and Sinosteel Corp. respectively for many years, and was deeply impressed by his industrious Chinese colleagues. "Hard-working has always been the impression of Chinese [in my eyes]. It is motivating for young African people to learn from their Chinese counterparts to enhance their self-development capacity," said Mononi.

Most delegates at the forum believed the rapid development of China, the world's largest developing country, is a valuable source of experience for Africa, the continent with the largest number of developing countries. Many African attendees believed that they need to know more about China and that therefore the forum provides a good platform to learn and share.