The one-week event, jointly hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, and the Shandong government, took the African youth representatives to tourism destinations, rural-vitalization projects and high-tech enterprises in Beijing and Shandong province.

It is the first time Thandi Chabeli, 30, a coordinator for a woman-and-youth-empowerment organization in Lesotho, has traveled to China. Her organization encourages women to pursue higher education and provides support to those facing abusive situations, as well as offering free vocational training for women seeking financial independence.

Chabeli says vocational training in her country often teaches women traditional crafts such as grass-weaving. "If I learn bamboo-weaving, maybe I could teach something different."

She says she hopes to establish connections with women and youth empowerment organizations in China for her work in Lesotho.

Since 2018, the China-Africa Youth Festival has hosted over 300 young people from Africa, becoming an important event for cooperation between Chinese and African youth.

Thandiswa Joan Losi, a 36-year-old entrepreneur from South Africa, has participated in the China-Africa Youth Festival twice, in 2019 and this year.

"I'm also happy to see how China nicely embraces tourism and foreigners," she says.