A joint delegation of overseas Chinese youth organizations in Japan attended the 2026 Belt and Road Conference for Overseas Chinese Cooperation and Development and visited Sichuan and Chongqing to advance trade, cultural, and technology cooperation.
To advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and bring together the strength of overseas Chinese communities around the world, the 2026 Belt and Road Conference for Overseas Chinese Cooperation and Development was held in Sichuan and Chongqing from June 1 to 5, 2026. The event was jointly organized by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, the Sichuan Provincial People's Government, and the Chongqing Municipal People's Government. A joint delegation of overseas Chinese youth organizations in Japan was invited to attend the full program, taking part in thematic exchanges, industry visits, and related activities. The delegation drew on the strengths of overseas Chinese youth in Japan to build two-way bridges for economic, trade, and people-to-people exchange between China and Japan.
The delegation included Guo Lei, a specially invited overseas member of the 13th All-China Youth Federation and chair of the All-Japan Chinese Youth Federation; Liu Jingwei, executive chair of the All-Japan Chinese Youth Federation and president of the Japan Overseas Chinese Youth Economic and Cultural Promotion Association; Xiu Qianqian, vice chair of the All-Japan Chinese Youth Federation and chair of the Kansai Chinese Youth Federation in Japan; and Li Maoxin, a standing committee member of the All-Japan Chinese Youth Federation, director of its Internet and Artificial Intelligence Sector Working Committee, and vice president of the All-Japan Federation for the Peaceful Development of Overseas Chinese Youth. The delegates held in-depth discussions with overseas Chinese representatives from many countries and regions on youth development, frontier technology and innovation, international trade, and people-to-people exchange. They established broad channels of contact and continued expanding networks for international youth cooperation.
During the conference exchanges, the delegation met Pang Wenzhong, vice chair of the Sichuan Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and chair of the Chengdu Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. The two sides exchanged commemorative gifts and took a group photograph. Throughout the conference, the delegation participated in thematic forums and networking sessions, sharing development experience and ideas for cooperation with young overseas Chinese representatives from around the world.
After the conference program, the delegation followed an ecological development route through the Chongqing section of the Three Gorges, conducting field visits in Wushan, Fengjie, and Yunyang. The delegates examined the development of ecological tourism, specialty agriculture, optical manufacturing, and other industries, experiencing firsthand the momentum with which Sichuan and Chongqing are using ecological resources to deepen the opening of inland China.
At the 'Overseas Chinese Support for Global Expansion' exchange in Fengjie, Liu Jingwei, executive chair of the All-Japan Chinese Youth Federation and president of the Japan Overseas Chinese Youth Economic and Cultural Promotion Association, spoke as a representative of young overseas Chinese. Drawing on his years of work in China-Japan industrial exchange, he said overseas Chinese have never been mere 'observers' of their hometowns' development. They are 'builders' who participate deeply and actively empower local growth. Liu said overseas Chinese youth in Japan would fully exercise their role as a bridge between China and the world, using their access to overseas markets, distribution channels, and international networks to promote Fengjie's high-quality local resources. They will introduce the distinctive culture and tourism of the Three Gorges and the 'Best of Fengjie' product range overseas, including Fengjie navel oranges, optical lenses, and specialty foods. They will also connect Fengjie with strong companies, advanced technologies, and quality projects from China and abroad, explore an innovative model combining overseas Chinese investment, technology, and overseas markets, and advance complementary resources, shared strengths, and mutually beneficial cooperation.
Days of conference participation and field visits made a deep impression on every member of the delegation. They said that seeing the new face and broad opportunities of high-quality development in inland China at close range greatly strengthened their sense of belonging and national pride. By bringing together young overseas Chinese from around the world, the conference also gave young people in Japan a valuable platform for learning from overseas Chinese affairs work in different regions and expanding channels for cross-border youth exchange.
The visit to Sichuan and Chongqing laid a strong foundation for the joint delegation to deepen regular exchanges with overseas Chinese affairs departments and local communities in both regions. The delegation will now consolidate what it learned from the conference and the field visits and turn those insights into practical action that serves international exchange and supports the development of hometown communities. It will continue to use the distinctive advantages of overseas Chinese youth in Japan—their ability to connect China and Japan, their broad reach, and their concentration of young talent—to build regular platforms for China-Japan exchange and communicate China's story and the development of Sichuan and Chongqing to Japanese society. It will bring together talent, innovation, trade, and business resources held by overseas Chinese youth in Japan and support practical engagement between young people from both countries in scientific and technological innovation, green industries, culture and tourism, and commerce. Carrying forward the tradition of overseas Chinese who remain devoted to their homeland and committed to service, it will unite and guide overseas Chinese youth in Japan to stay connected with their hometowns, respond proactively to China's development needs, and channel quality overseas resources into Sichuan and Chongqing as they build a new center for the opening of inland China. With the commitment of a new generation of overseas Chinese youth, the delegation will contribute to high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deepen people-to-people friendship between China and Japan, and promote exchange and mutual learning among civilizations.
Editor: Secretariat of the Japan Overseas Chinese Youth Association
Reviewed by: Liu Jingwei
Final review: Guo Lei
