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Strengthening the Power of Youth: My APEC Philippines 2015
Author:Sichen Xia  Date:2015-12-04  Clicks:

This is a screenshot of CCTV news on November 18, 2015. Can you see the young lady sitting between two gentlemen on the second row? That is me. My mom said she would frame and decorate it in memory of the “peak of her daughter’s life”: the unforgettable and wonderful experience of attending 2015 Philippines APEC.

Selected among candidates from more than sixty reputable universities in China, I was lucky enough to earn one of the seven positions representing the Chinese Youth to attend Asia Pacific Economic Conference in Philippines, bearing the responsibility to “let the world to hear the voice of the Chinese Youth”.

The prelude to the APEC adventure is an exploration of the capital city Manila, the economic and political center of the Philippines, where some of the most historically and culturally significant landmarks reside. We visited attractions including walled city of Intramuros,the National Theater at the Cultural Center of the Philippines,the Sunset Boulevard and the Catholic Church. Inspired by the storytelling of the senior carter driver, I integrated the long and arduous history of this country with my own contemplation and renewed my knowledge of it.

Following the wonderful sightseeing tour of the city Manila, here came the opening of the APEC CEO Summit. The Summit was launched on November 16, with President Aquino’s sharing of the growth story of the Philippines. A short VCR was played about how the impoverished Philippine people who could not have had access to education or health care were provided with the possibility to rewrite their destiny under the innovative growth strategies by the government. In the next three days, open forum discussions were carried out on topics involving volatile and inclusive development, challenges confronted by Asia-pacific in the course of integration and trade, human resources training, urban design and planning, etc. Leaders and pioneers from different domains shared diverse and innovative insights on those topics, which led me to consider those issues from new perspectives.

My strongest expectation of APEC is listening to President Xi Jinping delivering a speech on the scene. On November 18, President Xi was invited to make a keynote address to the audience. Before the conference, foreign media were speculating that he might not attend APEC this year because of the territorial disputes between the Philippines and China. When President Xi stepped on the stage, the floor stood up and gave a warm and lasting applause. China showed itself to be a grand and dignified country. That was a moment when the ever abstract and intangible word “patriotism” became concrete and vivid. I was so proud to be a Chinese citizen and so grateful to have the opportunity to be part of the moment.

Tight agenda alone is not real APEC. During the four-day conference, the committee held cocktail parties for delegates to associate potential partners. Entrepreneurs were interested in discovering business parternership. Youth delegates like me aimed at making new friends with people across the world. With wine, delicate food and considerate service, dinner reception turned out to be my favorite chapter in the APEC journey.

I left Manila in the early morning on November 19. Due to the airspace control, my flight was delayed. Sitting in the armchair in the airport, silently, I started to reflect on my harvests from the past four days.

The foremost lesson I receive is the urgency to improve my English. As a postgraduate student of English major, I used to have great confidence in my language proficiency. However, my exploration in the Philippines provided negative evidence on that. I have been accustomed to standardized English pronunciation in my listening exercise, so when I encounter an unfamiliar accent, my comprehension of the input is of low efficiency. It was beyond embarrassing to repeat “pardon” three times when I tried to reconfirm my reservation of the shuttle bus to the airport on the day before I left. It is worth mentioning that Mr. Ma Yun is an outstanding public speaker. With his extraordinary English proficiency and effective speech skills, in his ten-minute insight speech at APEC, he performed to the world the quality and comprehensive competence of Chinese entrepreneurs. In his dialogue with President Obama about the role played by enterprises in dealing with climate change and exploitation of new energy, his concise and humorous replies won cheers from the audience.

The second important insight I have obtained is that we young people must step out of our comfort zone. It is held by some critics that our generation is one that cannot take frustration so we cuddle up in the little comfort zone with a smart phone in hand and a set of earphones on head. This view is partly true. Young people must experience different cultures, communicate with those from different disciplinary domains and professions. During APEC, I talked to several establishing entrepreneurs from Singapore, US, China Mainland and local areas; I exchanged name cards with editor-in chief of Journal of Asia and an ambassador from Germany; I even had an enjoyable casual chat with a super handsome gentleman working for the department of sanitation of Philippine Government during the reception dinner. Conversations with them bring me refreshing perspective towards life, profession and culture. Besides, I gradually formulate the idea on how to socialize appropriately and elegantly in a formal situation. Therefore, it is crucial to step out and experience unusual things in order to make yourself unusual.

Another consideration is that we must always remember who we are and where we come from. During the conference, I identified myself as delegate of the Chinese youth, as a Chinese citizen, and more importantly, a resident in Wuhan, Hubei. The last self-identification was intensified when I was hurt by realizing that the majority of entrepreneurs abroad had ever been to Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong, but few of them had ever come to or even heard of Wuhan. So, I started to introduce to them that my university, located in Wuhan was one of the most prestigious universities in China with more than one hundred years history. I emphasized that Wuhan, regarded as “Chicago in Asia” is the largest city in central China with unlimited investment opportunities, rapidly developing industry and consistently enlarging market. I was not sure whether the eager promotion of my city would attract genuine investment; but I still insisted in doing that because I have to assume the responsibility of my part as a qualified citizen. My effort might only make a little difference; however, if every Hubei citizen makes such a little difference, the outcome will be phenomenal.

Strength of the youth is incomparable in accelerating the development of central China. Some people hold a stereotypical opinion that college students from central China are less competent than our peers from east coastal regions. It is not true. Out of the seven youth delegates, four are from Wuhan. We speak English as well as others do and we have equally wonderful performance in business competition during the selection process. We, as young people, must endeavor to earn opportunities like this to stand on the international stage and bring the world a real image of central China: a promising, rewarding and inclusive place.

When the plane landed on the Wuhan Tianhe airport, I knew my journey to APEC was officially ended. All the curiosity, joy, and thrill I have experienced in the past four days would be my history. And the future remains mysterious and unpredictable like the cloudy and drizzling weather in Wuhan. But as the old saying goes:

 Yesterday is a history

 Tomorrow is a mystery

 but today is a gift

 that’s why it is called “present”

APEC and the glory it brings to me are history. Taking the experience and harvests into practice is the present task I must carry on. By doing that, I would fulfill my responsibility to make the city a better place in the future.

(Xia Sichen is an English major master student of WHU)

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