The opening ceremony of the 2024 Future Close-Up in Beijing on June 14（ZHANG WEI）  

The 2024 Future Close-Up was launched in Beijing on June 14. The program presents China’s digital economic development and its modernization model to the world through activities such as exchanges, visits and digital life experiences. It also promotes brand building for Chinese enterprises, assists digital enterprises in expanding globally, and facilitates exchange and cooperation between talents and businesses from China and other countries. 

From June 13 to 21, the program will host 27 youth representatives from 21 countries and regions, including China, the United States, Russia, Germany, Italy, Thailand and Japan, on a tour departing from Beijing and taking them to Shenyang in Liaoning Province and the Xiongan New Area. These young participants are mostly entrepreneurs, technology workers, scholars and opinion leaders, who have a significant impact abroad. 

At the opening ceremony, Yu Shujun, Content Supervisor at China International Communications Group (CICG) Center for the Americas, warmly welcomed everyone. She said that the program gives young participants from around the world a chance to explore the real China.  

“Seeing is believing. You come here, you walk around, you explore things on the daily and you’ll change your perception of China. And of course, you can even find opportunities here,” Yu said. 

Qin Chuan, head of the Reputation Management Center at Tencent, said that when we talk about the future, our vision encompasses not only exciting technological transformations but also considerable uncertainties and several challenges present in the global development process. Whether it’s climate change or resource scarcity, there are still many “unsolved puzzles” awaiting us in the future. Young people will lend this topic a broader, international perspective. 

Alland Dharmawan, personal assistant to the advisor to the President at Presidential Advisory Council of the Republic of Indonesia, said that every time he visits China, he is amazed by its persistent drive for innovation, particularly in technology sectors like artificial intelligence (AI), smart city technology and renewable energy. Throughout the trip, he looks forward to discovering new innovations, enriching his understanding of the global tech landscape and bringing valuable insights back to Indonesia. 

Phillip Forman, co-founder of Vie Science, a U.S. art tech company, said that as a tech entrepreneur, he is very interested in learning about technology development in China and hopes to understand the similarities and differences that contributed to the rapid growth. “I’m excited to learn a lot and meet new people who are building the future. Also, I have an international background as I have been learning Russian and Chinese for a few years now, so I’m very interested to finally meet and communicate with people working in those geographies,” he said. 

Elena Poliakova, a Russian assistant professor at the IESEG School of Management in France, said that as a social scientist and educator, she wants to gain a better understanding of the rapid-growing tech industry in China, as well as discuss the important questions of how technology affects business, culture and daily life. She would further like to expand her network, better understand Chinese culture--and make new friends.   

Kemmaru Suedomi, a data strategist from Japan, said he had been to China a few times before participating in this program. He used to study in Beijing and had the opportunity to explore campus life there, but it was definitely not enough for him to fully understand how China is leading the tech industry and revitalizing its economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. He hopes to find some solutions that can help our society and meet new people who share their passion for creating social impacts for the future. 

Filip Koprčina, founder and CEO of Energy Shift, a blockchain-powered platform in Croatia, said this was his second time in China, and he was happy to be back after more than six years. “I want to get a first-hand experience of the tech industry in China, an industry which is one of the fastest-growing industries globally. Having been in the tech industry myself for the last decade, I am extremely excited to explore what China has to offer as well as to get new ideas and create connections that will serve me for a lifetime!” 

The Future Close-Up is a high-level youth exchange program initiated jointly by CICG Center for the Americas and the Marketing and Public Relations Department of Tencent in 2023. 

Guided by CICG, the Department of Commerce of Liaoning Province and Tencent, the 2024 Future Close-Up is jointly hosted by the CICG Center for the Americas, the Foreign Affairs Office of Xiongan New Area, the Hong Kong Federation of Liaoning Associations, and the Marketing and Public Relations Department of Tencent.