‘Soong Ching Ling Cup’China-ASEAN Youth Football Friendly Matches Opened in Beijing

On 30 July 2016, ‘Soong Ching Ling Cup’ China-ASEAN Youth Football Friendly Matches, jointly hosted by China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF), Chinese Football Association (CFA) and ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) opened in Beijing Institute of Technology. H.E. Mr. Li Yuanchao, Vice President of China, declared the opening of the matches. H.E. Mr. Hu Qili, Chairman, H.E. Mr. Qi Mingqiu, Standing Vice Chairman, H.E. Mr. Jing Dunquan, Vice Chairman of CSCLF, H.E. Mr. Du Zhanyuan, Vice Minister of Education of China, H.E. Mr. Chen Zhaoxiong, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology of China, H.E. Mr. Hu Haiyan, President of Beijing Institute of Technology, H.E. Mr. Zhang Jian, Standing Vice President and Secretary-General of CFA, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ACC, H.E. Mr. Thit Linn Ohn, Ambassador of Myanmar to China, H.E. Mr. Dang Minh Khoi, Ambassador of Viet Nam to China, other officials from Embassies of ASEAN countries, participating football teams, performing teams and audience totalled around one thousand attended the event.

The event was held to mark the 25th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relationship and aimed at taking youth as the main subject, sports as the bridge and culture as the link to promote ASEAN-China people-to-people exchanges and friendship, as well as enhance understanding between the peoples of China and the countries along the Belt and Road. 

The friendly matches lasted 5 days from 30 July to 3 August. Ten teams from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam and three Chinese teams from Beijing Football Association, Shenzhen Football Association and Yanbian Soong Ching Ling Football School participated. A series of cultural activities such as ‘Football in Campus’, joint site visits, youth get-together were held during the matches.