BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping called on young people to take an active part in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), support solidarity and cooperation between China and Africa, and make their own contribution to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Xi made the statement Tuesday when replying to a letter from participants of the International Youth Forum on Creativity and Heritage along the Silk Road, held in the Chinese cities of Changsha and Nanjing in May.

Xi pointed out that the BRI has transformed from an idea and vision to action and reality, and yielded fruitful achievements since he put forward the initiative five years ago, and this was not possible without warm responses and active participation of young people.

Noting that the BRI has injected strong impetus in China-Africa cooperation, he told them that Chinese and African leaders will discuss friendly cooperation and development under new circumstances at the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, to be held in September.

Xi said young people are the future of a nation, and young people from China and Africa represent the future of China-Africa friendship.

He urged them to engage in more cultural exchanges, continue actively participating the building of the Belt and Road, and carry on traditional friendship between China and African countries.

He also encouraged them to play their own part in jointly building an even stronger community with a shared future for China and Africa and a community with a shared future for mankind.

A total of 73 young representatives from 51 countries attended the youth forum. Some of them wrote a letter to Xi about their experience at the forum and ideas on the BRI, China-Africa cooperation and youth exchanges.