Four champions from MicUp English Speaking Competition, hosted by VDO English, China Daily Hong Kong’s educational branch, and RVIPS, The RVi Group’s publishing and events arm, made a remarkable impression at the prestigious Belt and Road Youth English Speaking Competition (BRESC).

The four contestants joined 33 youngsters from around 20 countries and regions in the 6th BRESC, sharing their enthusiasm for eloquent oratory and a kindred belief in mutual learning.

The BRESC was a notable sideline of the 29th “21st Century Cup” National English Speaking Competition in Wuxi, Jiangsu — China Daily’s flagship event, which brought together 247 top-notch young Chinese over the course of six intense days.

Myat Noe Phyu from Myanmar clinched the BRESC first runner-up, Nepali contestant Roshika Niraula finished in the top six, and both Phitsinee Khengkharnkar of Thailand and Ciara Eloise Dela Paz from the Philippines were awarded third prizes.

Each was a national champion from the first four Asia-Pacific countries included in the MicUp competition.

Richard Kensington, executive director of the international college of the University of Auckland, who also served on the global final’s judging panel, said he saw deep significance rooted in such exchanges.

It promotes youngsters’ collective deliberations on subjects such as civilization diversity and unity, he said, and also enables more global youth to see China with their own eyes and “spread the gospel of China”.

Meanwhile, three Hong Kong students, who were finalists in the Hong Kong regional competition, progressed to the national stage, showcasing their linguistic prowess, personal charisma, and fresh perspectives.

Nathan Poon Wai-hon, a law student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, rounded off with a second-prize award, while Leung Chak-lam and Cheng Wing-chi earned third-prize recognitions.

Lu Qiaohan, who took first prize in the “21st Century Cup” National English Speaking Competition, expressed eagerness to interact with the Hong Kong participants. “They are from the world’s top university and have been steeped in a unique cultural atmosphere, which certainly makes possible interactions interesting.”

The appreciation was mutual, with Poon praising his Chinese mainland peers’ linguistic talents and insightful interpretations, especially their perspectives on the revitalization of Chinese traditional culture, as both “refreshing and inspiring.”

This new perception underscored the potency of such exchange programs in youth development, where patriotic education has been promoted as one of the most prominent facets — a key point in the recent Policy Address delivered by Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu.

Initiated by China Daily in 1996 with an initial mission to boost Chinese youth’s English proficiency, the “21st Century Cup” National English Speaking Competition has evolved into an established platform for encouraging fresh voices that embody China’s stories through the lens of younger generations.

The BRESC, which was added to the newspaper’s educational initiatives in 2019, aims to harness the greater global connectivity that underpins the Belt and Road Initiative.

The championships of the “21st Century Cup” and BRESC went respectively to Sun Yiting from Chongqing University and South African representative Khaurisa Sarah Makhubele.

Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com