China-Africa Young Leaders Forum: Participants look to Chinese model of development

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The fourth China-Africa Young Leaders Forum opened today in South China's Shenzhen. And participants from across the African continent say they are looking for ways to drive development. CGTN's Sun Ye has the report.

Coming together from 40 different countries, but hoping to meet the same challenge: to make growth happen.

NENE FATOUMATA TALL PCA DE LA LONASE, SENEGAL "Youth unemployment and the lack of infrastructure, these are our biggest challenges."

AKLILU GEBRE, VICE CHAIRMAN LEAGUE OF ETHIOPIAN PEOPLE'S REVOLUTIONARY DEMOCRATIC FRONT "The biggest challenge is poverty alleviation. Still, 20 percent of our population live under the poverty line."

SUN YE SHENZHEN "African youth leaders here say it's their responsibility to transform the continent in the next 50 years, according to Agenda 2063. And they say they will be drawing on Chinese solutions, including the ones they witness here, in the pilot zone of development."

AKLILU GEBRE, VICE CHAIRMAN LEAGUE OF ETHIOPIAN PEOPLE'S REVOLUTIONARY DEMOCRATIC FRONT "What we have seen in the last few days is like miracle to us. Chinese lesson will be the backbone of our development journey."

Chinese representatives say its growth model might not apply to other countries, but it still could be useful.

WANG HEMING BUREAU OF AFRICA AFFAIRS, INT'L DEPARTMENT OF THE CPC CENTRAL COMMITTEE "The reform and opening up has been successful for the last 40 years, because it was led by the CPC and tailored to the local environment. Such a Chinese model of development, in politics as in economic development, may be a welcome alternative for African countries."

And as African youth leaders say they are in the community of shared destiny, they just might find shared solutions. SY, CGTN, SHENZHEN.