HONG KONG - A youth exchange program named "Belt and Road Journey" kicked off here Thursday, aiming to raise awareness of the opportunities brought about by the Belt and Road Initiative.Twenty young people will travel by train at the end of this month to cities including Urumqi, capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Kazakhstan's Almaty.The 20 young people, aged between 18 and 25, were selected from more than 500 applicants.During the six-day trip, they will visit local businesses and landmarks, and interact with local university students, one of the organizers, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) said at a press conference.In this way, the young people from Hong Kong will get "first-hand knowledge of the economic and cultural landscape of different Belt and Road regions," the organizer noted.The journey will be filmed and broadcast as a special TV series in September, as part of the HKTDC's ongoing efforts to promote the Belt and Road Initiative through the media and social media channels to attract more young people to get involved.HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Raymond Yip described the program as a flagship Belt and Road promotion event for young people this summer.He hoped that through direct interaction with local youths and visits to companies, the trip will help young people here gain a deeper understanding of the initiative.The initiative, proposed by China in 2013, refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of Silk Road. hen party wristbandsrubber bracelets custom cheapcustom wrist sweatbandssilicone keychaincheap custom wristbands
Online voting for contests is nothing new. However, Wechat-based voting has become a money-making venture in China. Because WeChat is widely used across China, various contests are hosted on Tencent's social media platform. WeChat vote buying is becoming a money-making venture in China. [File Photo from zj.zjol.com.cn] Often times participants will share a voting link with their contacts or chat groups for various contests in China which require online votes, begging for a precious vote for someone they know. This has spawned a cottage industry in China, with people now offering to supply individuals or companies with votes. Prices are said to cost around 100 yuan for 300 votes for companies taking part in consumer-based contests, such as best restaurant. Others are offering rates for individual rankings. These prices can run as high as 8,000 yuan to ensure that a person will earn the top prize in these types of competitions. The report in the Beijing News suggests concerns are being raised about the vote-buying schemes. Some argue that the costly voting is promoting negative values, especially for children. Others note that voting contests which require real-name registration can drive up the potential risk of identity theft by groups hoping to sell votes. Education authorities in China have issued a notice, calling for limits in online campus voting. Authorities are also warning would-be vote buyers that the rankings are ultimately decided by the organizations putting on the vote, meaning a massive payout for the top prize can't be guaranteed.
