Young people hailed as key to advancing common modernization

Building on such shared aspirations, young CEEC political leaders also offered their perspectives on the role of youth in driving modernization and China-CEEC cooperation, and how this can deliver tangible results to young people on both sides.

Serbian Minister of Culture Nikola Selakovic said that new generations hold a special space in advancing the China-CEEC partnership, spanning a wide range of fields from sustainable development and environmental protection to strengthening science and technology in social governance.

Serbia recognizes that young people are the most important resource and the bearers of future development, he said, emphasizing that his country is not only building programs for young people, but building the future together with them.

Martin Klus, former deputy speaker of the Slovak Parliament, said that young people from different countries, cultures, and political systems often share remarkably similar aspirations.

"They want opportunities, dignity, security, and a chance to shape their own future," he said, adding that his years of experience in youth programs and public service have reinforced his conviction that "investing in young people is not a matter of generosity — it is a matter of responsibility".

"Our countries may differ in many respects, but we share a common interest in stability, prosperity, and development. Most importantly, we share a responsibility to leave future generations a better world than the one we inherited," he said.

Mirjana Vlahovic Andrijasevic, state secretary at Montenegro's Ministry of Health, emphasized that "no society can be truly modern if it does not invest in the knowledge, health, and potential of its young generations".

"Young people are not merely beneficiaries of the future we are building; they are its creators," she said. "Their ideas, energy, innovations, and ability to understand a world that is changing faster than ever before, represent the greatest asset of any nation."

Irena Lukajic Korica, adviser to the Office of the Serb Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, offered a concrete example of how CEEC-China cooperation has brought tangible benefits.

She said her friend is working on one of the largest Chinese-supported renewable energy projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina — a solar power plant valued at more than 100 million euros ($116 million).

"Through his experience, I have seen how international cooperation can create opportunities, transfer knowledge, and contribute to local development," she said. "For many young people, such projects are tangible examples of partnership and shared progress."

On the sidelines of the forum, the foreign guests visited the Hubei Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, the Wuhan Institute of Industrial Innovation and Development, the Baibuting Residential Community, and Central China Normal University.

As the on-site tours offered them a firsthand look at Chinese modernization, they spoke highly of the country's strides in technological innovation, community governance, and cultural exchange activities.

Liu Kun contributed to this story.