Hong Kong students attending a lecture on diplomacy on Wednesday said the eye-opening exchange with diplomats ignited their interest in the field.

More than 650 students attended the China Diplomatic Knowledge Youth Education Lecture at the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Park Sports Centre in Sai Ying Pun.

The event, organized by the Y Elites Association and supported by the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong SAR, invited young diplomats to share their diplomatic stories and related knowledge.

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Addressing the event, Li Yongsheng, deputy commissioner of the Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR, said he was glad to see so many Hong Kong students showing an interest in the realm of diplomacy.

The veteran diplomat shared a story from when he started working at the Foreign Ministry, including some related to NATO’s 1999 bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The US apologized for the attack, saying it was an accident.

Chen Wenjing, third secretary of the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department, shared diplomatic knowledge with students and told them about the duty of a consul through events in history.

She also gave students some tips about traveling abroad and reminded them to contact local Chinese embassies for help when encountering incidents overseas.

Another young diplomat, Liu Ping, third secretary of the Foreign Ministry’s Department of Media and Public Relations, talked to the students about his three-year work experience in Syria. He said he needed to take a bulletproof vehicle to and from his workplace every day, and that the experience taught him that nothing is more precious than peace.

He told students that peace can persist only if the country is rich and strong, and encouraged them to work harder to contribute to the country.

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Tsoi Tsz-ki, a student from Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Lee Ching Dea Memorial College, said she has wanted to become a member of the Foreign Ministry since childhood. She said the lecture has further strengthened her ambition and national pride.

Heung To Middle School student Chun Yi-po said the event helped her learn the challenges of becoming a national translator — a career that she wants to pursue. She pledged to study hard to better help the country.

The event was the third one in a serial lecture. The first two lectures were held at the Mong Kok Community Hall on Feb 2, and Newman Catholic College on April 4.

Contact the writer at stephyzhang@chinadailyhk.com