On 27 November, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Former President of the Philippines (2001-2010), delivered her remarks at the opening ceremony of Asia Youth Leaders Forum 2021.

Read the speech below.

President Wu and the China Public Diplomacy Association，

Youth leaders, 

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Congratulations for giving the youth of Asia a good opportunity to share ideas and experiences and learn about each other's cultures and development through this Asia Youth Leaders Forum!

President Xi Jinping, in the letter last year to the All-China Youth Federation, stressed that the youth in the country shall be mobilized to make new and greater contributions to undertakings of the country. He said that during the past five years, Youth and Students Federations at various levels have united youth across the country and made contributions to the first centenary goal to complete the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the centenary of the Communist Party of China founded in 1921. China has accomplished this mission and now embarked on a new journey of realizing the second centenary goal, to build China into a modern socialist country that's prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious by the centenary of the People's Republic of China founded in 1949. President Xi added that Youth and Students Federations should deepen reform and innovation and mobilize the youth to make greater contributions in the new era. 

President Xi Jinping has also on multiple occasions encouraged young people from around the world to come to China, get first-hand knowledge and share their experiences.

The Philippines is a country of young people. The young generation of the Philippines are now aware of and admire the tremendous economic progress of China. For the young Filipinos who, up to now, have only heard of the tremendous progress, I hope more of them will see for themselves the result of China's economic miracle. I hope that they will get the chance to get direct insight into China's outlook towards progress in the building of a world community with a shared vision and China's outlook on the role of technology in national progress. I hope they will hear the Chinese youth similar to them, so they can hear directly from the young of China. 

Among the most memorable interactions I ever had with the youth of China was when I was guest speaker at the well-attended forum of the Youth Arm of the Boao Forum for Asia, Hong Kong in 2018. In that forum, I brought with me 10 young Filipino leaders from various Philippine provinces, so that they would learn more about the world, especially China's rapid progress. Of the ten, three were physically disabled. These Filipino youth made a side trip from Hong Kong to Guangzhou in a similar way that I traveled to Canton 44 years ago. Those 10 young Filipinos were awed by the learning opportunities from the trip, the warm reception for them, and the skyscrapers and modern amenities of Guangzhou. The three disabled young people were particularly impressed that throughout the trip, they did not feel discriminated against and were treated respectfully, just like other tourists. All of them said that they will always remember that experience in Guangzhou throughout their life. These young men and women themselves told me that the trip made them realize how people of their age could contribute to making their communities and their country a better place to live in. 

As the Filipino youth of today will be the ones to bring our country to our own new era, I hope they will be ambassadors to the new generations, spreading the word of Asian development based on open trade and modern technology, as we have witnessed in China. I hope our young generation will be increasingly involved in the rapid progress and development of China. This is a challenge that the youth leaders will address in the Asia Youth Leaders Forum with open minds and the willingness to innovate, plus a strong will to work as one. I trust that the youth can fulfill the vision of making an ever-greater Asia. 

Good day to you all! Xie Xie!