On November 17, the 2025 "the belt and road initiative" Youth Creativity and Heritage Forum was held in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. Vice Minister of Education Ren Youqun and UNESCO Acting Assistant Director-General for Social Sciences Brito delivered video speeches.
Ren Youqun stated his opinion that the Chinese government attaches great importance to youth work. Since 2017, it has held eight consecutive "Belt and Road" youth creativity and heritage forums to build a platform for young people from countries along the "Belt and Road" to promote heritage protection through innovation and creativity. It is hoped that young people will carry forward the spirit of the Silk Road, bring new ideas for the digital protection, inheritance and sustainable use of heritage, jointly promote the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations, and contribute to global common development.
The forum was jointly organized by the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, UNESCO, the World Federation of UNESCO Associations, the Nanjing Municipal People's Government and the Changsha Municipal People's Government. 76 young people from 45 countries will communicate together and exchange their views on the theme of "Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship-Youth Promotion of Heritage Protection and Inheritance.