Forum lauds youth as future of NE Asia

Entrepreneurs from China, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, Russia attend event

Young entrepreneurs in Northeast Asia are being encouraged to forge stronger ties in economic and trade cooperation, industry experts and leaders said.

Liu Xifeng, born and raised in Changchun, Jilin province, told China Daily he was honored to be invited to attend the Northeast Asia Young Entrepreneurs Development and Cooperation Forum in his hometown on Aug 24.

Liu emphasized its role in fostering regional collaboration and economic growth and the importance of young entrepreneurs like himself in driving innovation and forging strategic partnerships.

He serves as director of the overseas business department of Socol Corp Ltd, one of the largest State-owned enterprises in Jilin.

Over the years, Jilin has leveraged its advantages in revitalizing its traditional heavy industry base in Northeast China, with support from the provincial government, Liu added.

The joint efforts of State-owned and private enterprises have led to steady economic development and improvement in infrastructure construction, he said.

As a subsidiary of Power Construction Corp of China — or PowerChina — the enterprise specializes in traditional water and hydropower engineering and has been expanding into new energy and power infrastructure construction.

With an eye on overseas markets, the SOE's international department has been engaging in infrastructure projects, including construction of power facilities, hydroelectric stations and roads on a global scale, aligning with the Belt and Road Initiative, Liu said.

At the forum, his department sought international opportunities, as the presence of young entrepreneurs and influential leaders from countries in the region offered invaluable chances to explore potential prospects abroad, he added.

Such willingness demonstrated by local enterprises strongly resonated with the theme of the forum.

The forum, held as a special event during the 14th China-Northeast Asia Expo, was centered around the theme of "Innovation and Development, Win-Win Cooperation".

The gathering brought over 200 young entrepreneurs and representatives of collaborative institutions from China, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, Russia and other nations.

Industry experts and leaders urged young entrepreneurs from the region to strengthen their economic and trade cooperation ties, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in driving regional development.

Young entrepreneurs from multiple countries were encouraged to uphold openness and integration, consolidate the foundation of regional cooperation and prioritize innovation to ignite regional innovative vitality, said Vice-President of the All-China Youth Federation Xu Xiao at the forum.

Young entrepreneurs across Northeast Asia, sharing common interests and a forward-thinking approach, have the potential to drive regional development, Xu said.