3月26日，在亚洲青年领袖论坛中国—阿联酋青年领袖对话会上，广州市人民政府外事办公室主任、广州市人民对外友好协会会长詹德村发表了主旨演讲。

全文如下：     

各位嘉宾和青年朋友：

很荣幸受邀出席中国—阿联酋青年领袖对话会，与来自亚洲各国的青年代表共叙中阿传统友谊，共谋新时代中阿高质量合作发展。

中国和阿拉伯国家之间的关系源远流长，树立了不同民族友好交往的典范。阿联酋位于“一带一路”的交汇点，与中国是共建“一带一路”的天然合作伙伴。去年12月，首届中国—阿拉伯国家峰会在沙特利雅得成功举行，中国国家主席与阿拉伯国家和阿盟领导人一致同意全力构建面向新时代的中阿命运共同体，为新时期中阿关系发展指明了方向。主席在峰会上提出的中阿务实合作“八大共同行动”中，特别提出了文明对话共同行动和青年成才共同行动，这正是广州市人民对外友好协会的使命和职责所在。

广州是中国的南大门，有着2237年的建城史，是中国古代海上丝绸之路发祥地，世界唯一两千年经久不衰的贸易港口。广州自古以来就与阿拉伯国家保持着密切的经贸往来和人文交流。早在1400多年前的唐朝时代，广州港就已开辟了通向中东的航线，是当时世界上最长的航线。始建于唐朝初期的怀圣寺是中国现存最古老的清真寺建筑，至今仍是伊斯兰信众礼拜的神圣场所。

广州与阿联酋有着深厚的渊源。广州与迪拜和阿布扎比先后缔结国际友好城市和国际友好合作交流城市关系，在经贸、教育、文化、科技等领域开展务实合作，交流富有成效，人民友谊日益增进，成为了中阿友好城市合作发展、互利共赢的典范。广州城市环境综合整治项目和广州海珠国家湿地公园保护建设案例先后获得“联合国改善人居环境最佳范例奖”和第12届迪拜国际可持续发展最佳范例奖全球十佳项目之一。2012年，广州联合世界城地组织、世界大都市协会共同创设广州国际城市创新奖“广州奖”，与“迪拜奖”一道，成为促进全球城市治理创新交流互鉴的优质国际公共产品。

女士们、先生们、朋友们：

“国之交在于民相亲，民相亲在于心相通。”在此，我对加强中阿青年，尤其是广州青年与阿联酋青年合作提出三点建议：

一是继续加强人文交流。推动青年互访，增进相互理解，认识彼此，读懂彼此，不断拓展和夯实中阿友好的民意社会基础，为中阿友谊不断深化培育新一代生力军。

二是继续加深经贸和科技合作。利用广州全面落实《南沙深化面向世界的粤港澳全面合作总体方案》，抢抓粤港澳大湾区建设等重大机遇，与阿方一道，加快在新一代信息技术、人工智能、生物医药、新能源、新材料等战略性新兴产业领域大力开展经贸和科技合作，争取取得一些成效。

三是继续深化友城合作。务实推进广州与迪拜和阿布扎比在友城框架下开展旅游、教育、卫生、文化、科技等领域交流合作，不断丰富两地民间友好的内涵。

广州市人民对外友协愿同各界朋友着眼未来，继续致力于推动文明对话、促进民心相通，使更多中阿青年成为两地友谊使者，携手打造面向新时代的中阿命运共同体。

Zhan Decun encourages more Emirati and Chinese youth to become agents for friendship between the two countries

On 26 March, Zhan Decun, director general of Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office and president of Guangzhou People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, delivered a keynote speech at the China and UAE Dialogue between the Youth Leaders of the Asia Youth Leaders Forum. Following is the full text of the speech.

Distinguished guests,

Dear young friends,

It is an honor be here at the China and UAE Dialogue between the Youth Leaders to discuss with you, youth representatives from Asia, the longstanding China-UAE friendship and seek high-quality China-UAE cooperation and development.

in jointly advancing the Belt and Road. In December last year, the first China-Arab States Summit was successfully held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

At the summit, President Xi proposed eight major initiatives for practical China-Arab cooperation, including inter-civilizational dialogue and youth development. This is precisely the mission and responsibility of Guangzhou People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

Guangzhou is the southern gateway to China, with a history of 2,237 years. It is the cradle of the Maritime Silk Road of ancient China, and the only trade port in the world that still thrives after two millennia. Since ancient times, Guangzhou has maintained close economic and trade ties and cultural exchanges with Arab states. As early as the Tang Dynasty 1,400 years ago, the port of Guangzhou started a route to the Middle East, which was the longest route in the world at that time. The Huaisheng Mosque, built in the early Tang Dynasty, is the oldest surviving mosque in China and is still a sacred place for Islamic worship today. 

Guangzhou has a deep connection with the UAE. Guangzhou has established with Dubai and Abu Dhabi sister-city relationship and friendly-city relationship respectively. we carry out pragmatic cooperation in economy, trade, education, culture, science, and technology. This has led to fruitful exchanges and improving friendship between the two peoples, setting an example of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation for sister cities between Arab states and China. 

The Guangzhou Urban Environmental Comprehensive Improvement Project and the project Conservational Development of Haizhu Wetland Park have been recognized respectively by the Dubai International Best Practices Award for Human Settlements as a winner and by the 12th Dubai International Best Practices Award for Sustainable Development as one of the top ten best practices. In 2012, together with UCLG and METROPOLIS, Guangzhou initiated the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation, or Guangzhou Award, joining the Dubai Award in delivering a high-quality international public product for inter-city exchange and mutual learning of governance innovation. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends,

The friendship between nations lies in mutual affinity between the people, 

while mutual affinity between the people lies in mutual understanding. For strengthened cooperation between Emirati and Chinese youth, especially cooperation with Guangzhou’s youth, I would like to make three proposals.

First, we should further people-to-people exchanges. We should promote mutual visits by youth to enhance their mutual understanding – not just knowing but understanding each other. This way, we can consolidate and expand popular support for China-UAE friendship and nurture a new generation of forces towards ever-deepening China-UAE friendship.

Second, we should further economic, trade, scientific, and technological cooperation. Guangzhou is implementing the Overall Plan for Promoting Comprehensive Cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao by Further Deepening Opening-up in Nansha District of Guangzhou and advancing development of the Greater Bay Area. We welcome UAE’s cooperation in new-generation IT, AI, biopharma, new energy, and new materials, among other emerging strategic industries, endeavoring to achieve tangible results.

Third, we should further cooperation between sister cities. Between Dubai and Guangzhou, and Abu Dhabi and Guangzhou, we should encourage exchanges and cooperation in tourism, education, health, culture, science, and technology within the sister-city framework, giving new meaning to the sister-city relationship.

Our association is willing to work with all to, with the future in mind, continue pushing for inter-civilizational dialogue and people-to-people bond, so that more Emirati and Chinese youth become agents for friendship between the two countries and work together to build a China-Arab community with a shared future for the new era.