China-ASEAN Youth Innovation Contest was opened in Chongqing on August 15, 2018. Co-sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology (“MOST”) and the China Association for Science and Technology (“CAST”), China-ASEAN Youth Innovation Contest is an important measure to implement the China-ASEAN Human Resource Development Program put forward by Premier Li Keqiang at the 20th China-ASEAN Summit. It is also a key measure to deliver the Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Action Plan adopted at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. 

Xia Mingjiu, Member of CPC Leading Group of MOST, Chen Gang, Executive Secretary of CAST, Li Dianxun, Vice Mayor of the Chongqing Municipal People‘s Government, Crescente R. Relacion, Consul General of the Philippines in Chongqing and Steven Pang Chee Wee, Consul General of Singapore in Chengdu attended the opening ceremony.  

On behalf of MOST, Xia Mingjiu extended a warm welcome to all the guests and participants. He pointed out that the Chinese government emphasized science and innovation, and upheld open cooperation. In 2017, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed to build the “Belt and Road” into a road of innovation and announced the launch of the Belt and Road Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Action Plan. With geographical proximity and close people-to-people ties, China and ASEAN are good partners for close cooperation and common development. China-ASEAN cooperation has yielded fruitful results. Xia Mingjiu hoped that all contestants could take the opportunity to communicate with their peers and judges from both China and ASEAN countries, give full play to their creativity and passion for science, and be bold in exploring, practicing and seeking truth. 

Teenagers from 10 countries including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Laos and China brought their science and technology projects to the event and competed for the China-ASEAN Innovation Award.  

On August 16, the 33rd China Adolescents Science & Technology Innovation Contest was opened in Chongqing. The event was jointly organized by CAST, the Ministry of Education, MOST and Chongqing Municipality. Wan Gang, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee and President of CAST, and Tang Liangzhi, Mayor of Chongqing, addressed the opening ceremony. Xia Mingjiu, Member of CPC Leading Group of MOST went on a tour of the Youth Science and Technology Innovation Exhibition. Some 500 teenagers of 35 teams from 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and more than 300 international delegates from more than 50 countries and regions participated in the competition.