This year was unforgettably different from any other for Li Yaxuan, a ninth-grader at the Middle School Affiliated with Tsinghua University in Beijing.

In late July, the 14-year-old was selected from among hundreds of participants in the 2017 Model APEC Junior competition. As a reward, she got the opportunity to travel to Da Nang, Vietnam, from Tuesday to Friday, along with three college students, to experience some of the 25th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Week as a representative of Chinese youth.

At the event's CEO Summit on Friday, Li listened to speeches and dialogue from the leaders of different economies, including President Xi Jinping. Earlier, she met face-to-face with business elites and scholars.

"It was an inspiring and vision-broadening trip," she said. "I heard perspectives and viewpoints that were fresh to me." She added that the trip was a great opportunity to deepen her understanding of regional and global affairs.

Li said she was most impressed during the meetings by China's rising influence.

"Many discussions had to do with China's development and its external cooperation," she said. "We, as representatives of China, also attracted a lot of attention."

She said dignitaries at the meeting were surprised to find people of her age in attendance.

"Some people I talked to on the sidelines or during tea breaks told me that they were glad to hear the voices of Chinese youth," she said.

To prepare for the trip, Li seized every minute she could to learn more about APEC and its mission, including its three pillars - trade and investment liberalization; business facilitation; and economic and technical cooperation. She collected and read materials, and tried to form her own perspective.

The Model APEC Junior program, launched by the Asia-Pacific Youth Foundation for Communication and Development in 2016, targets young people between 14 and 18 in China. Its goal is to engage middle school students in international affairs and nurture their ability to engage in public diplomacy via diverse activities, including courses on improving leadership and dialogue with diplomats.

"The biggest benefit of participating in the Model APEC Junior program and attending the APEC meetings is that my way of thinking and viewing the world has been changed," she said. "In the past, I could only think of myself. Now I feel more like a global citizen and try to see things from a wider perspective."

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