On 28 October 2023, the opening ceremony of “New Youth·New Future - Asian Youth Music Festival” was held in Nanjing, supported by the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), and co-organized by China International Communications Group Asia-Pacific, Jiangsu International Communication Center, and Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS). Director Sun Yi of General Affairs and Coordination Division of the ACC was invited to attend and address the opening ceremony. The diplomats from the embassies and consulates general of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos were also present. The Festival turned out to be a great success with the scale of audience hitting 20,000 on the first day. 

Mr. Sun Yi underlined that recent years have witnessed co-building and promoting inclusive Asian values become shared goals for the Asian peoples. Music transcends national borders and cultural distinctions, and the ACC views it as one of the most important areas to explore opportunities for cooperation, materialize cultural exchanges and enhance mutual learning between ASEAN and China. The young generations are destined to take the lead and try their utmost in this grand cause. With the year 2024 announced as “the ASEAN-China Year of People-to-people Exchanges”, the ACC stands ready to collaborate with all our partners and friends to further enhance cultural exchanges, especially among the youth communities, so as to enrich the ASEAN-China comprehensive strategic partnership. 

During the Festival, the renowned young artists, orchestras and singers from China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and ASEAN Member States jointly presented a visual and acoustic feast to the participants.