SCO forum unleashes creativity of young people

Participants of a cycling event cycle along Shenzhen Bay Park yesterday. Sun Yuchen

Russian Makarova Sabina, holding her cellphone and dressed in cycling uniform with the slogan “Ride toward a Green Future” on the back, was seen making a video on Shenzhen yesterday at Lianhua Hill Park in Futian District.

Sabina, who has 1 million followers on Douyin, came to Shenzhen from Beijing for a warm-up cycling tour for the three-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Youth Technology and Innovation Forum, which will kick off online and offline in Shenzhen today.

Although Sabina is not based in Shenzhen, she said she indeed felt the city’s inclusiveness and friendliness during her short stay.

Sabina said cycling is a good way for people to see the city from a different perspective and meet new friends, which can also encourage young people to live more environmentally friendly.

Around 30 people, including a number of expats, forum attendees, and youth representatives from all walks of life in the city, gathered at Lianhua Hill Park yesterday, the starting point for the cycling tour.

Despite their sweaty faces from the scorching midday sun, everyone looked glowing and delightful before the cycling officially started.

Gokhan Koc from Turkey said: “I go cycling almost every week. It’s a nice event as it can let people see the city is getting better and better.”

Koc said better facilities and more greenways constructed in the city over the years have made cycling experience more enjoyable.

Rafael Saavedra from Venezuela, known for his Youtube channel “Rafa Goes Around,” noted the cycling event is a good initiative to show the city’s architectures, natural environment and healthy lifestyle.

The participants cycled along Shenzhen Bay Park and finally arrived at the Ferris wheel at OH Bay in Bao’an District.

Officials from SCO member countries and observer states, foreign diplomats in China, young scientists and entrepreneurs, and representatives from youth organizations will attend the forum.

Themed “Youth Building Dreams of Technology, Innovation Leading the Future,” the forum includes six parallel summits to spotlight topics on youth innovation and cooperation, people’s health, digital economy development, AI, green development, poverty alleviation collaboration and rural development.

The event also plans to unveil a Shenzhen proposal calling for deepening exchanges among the youths in fields such as innovation cooperation, innovative education, talent cultivation, agricultural development, rural poverty reduction, international health cooperation, information infrastructure, and sustainable development.

The forum was proposed by President Xi Jinping in his remarks at the 21st meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO via video link in September last year.

Founded in 2001, the SCO comprises eight member states, namely India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

The combined GDP of SCO member states topped US$23 trillion in 2021, over 13 times more than that when the organization was established, according to the People’s Daily.