On July 28, the opening ceremony of the 10th National High School Students Model United Nations Conference, themed 'Youth United for a Shared Future' and hosted by China Foreign Affairs University, opened in Xi'an. Guided by the Department of International Organizations and Conferences of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Education and the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shaanxi Provincial People's Government, and organized by the CYL Committee of CFAU, Xi'an Tieyi High School and Tieyi Jinwan Middle School of Xixian New Area, the conference brought together more than 500 teachers and students from nearly 70 schools across 23 provinces in the ancient capital Xi'an, embarking on a five-day journey of diplomatic practice.

Wang Shiting, Secretary of the CPC Committee of CFAU, and Zhou Li, full-time Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee of CFAU, attended on behalf of the host. Guests attending the opening ceremony included Qu Xing, former Deputy Director-General of UNESCO and former Chinese Ambassador to Belgium; Gao Yanping, former Chinese Consul General in Houston and in Zurich (also accredited to Liechtenstein) and former Chinese Ambassador to Israel; Wu Zexian, former Chinese Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Lebanon; Yue Bin, former Chinese Ambassador to Tajikistan and Georgia; and Chen Kai, Counselor of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Relevant leaders from Shaanxi Province and Xi'an attending included Liu Guorong, Secretary of the CPC Working Committee of Xixian New Area of Shaanxi Province; Yang Shengliang, Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of Xixian New Area; Ji Yingqiu, Deputy Secretary of the Education Work Committee of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee; Gao Jinxiao, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shaanxi Provincial People's Government; Liu Yang, Deputy Secretary of the CYL Shaanxi Provincial Committee; Wang Gang, Level-II Inspector of the Xi'an Municipal Education Bureau; Zhang Yong, Deputy Director of the Xi'an Municipal Foreign Affairs Office; and Qing Qun, Secretary of the Party General Branch and Principal of Xi'an Tieyi High School.

At the opening ceremony, remarks were delivered by Wang Shiting, Secretary of the CPC Committee of CFAU and former Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland; Liu Guorong, Secretary of the CPC Working Committee of Xixian New Area of Shaanxi Province; Qu Xing, former Deputy Director-General of UNESCO and former Chinese Ambassador to Belgium; Chen Kai, Counselor of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Qing Qun, Secretary of the Party General Branch and Principal of Xi'an Tieyi High School.

Wang Shiting, Secretary of the CPC Committee of CFAU and former Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland, delivers remarks

In his remarks, Secretary Wang Shiting, on behalf of China Foreign Affairs University, thanked the leaders, guests and people from all walks of life who have long supported the conference, and welcomed teachers and students from across the country. He said that as the only 'Double First-Class' university directly affiliated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CFAU has always taken serving the motherland's diplomatic cause as its mission. Over the more than 70 years since its founding, the University has cultivated more than 40,000 outstanding graduates for the country, among whom more than 600 have become ambassadors of the People's Republic, making important contributions to New China's diplomatic cause. Model United Nations activities have always resonated with the pulse of the world and the future of humanity, and have always been closely connected with the ideas and thinking of young people. He hoped the students would take this conference as an opportunity to study, reflect, practice and internalize through simulated multilateral diplomacy, grow together through exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and contribute the power of youth to jointly creating a better world.

Liu Guorong, Secretary of the CPC Working Committee of Xixian New Area of Shaanxi Province, delivers remarks

In his remarks, Liu Guorong, Secretary of the CPC Working Committee of Xixian New Area of Shaanxi Province, noted that Xi'an is the starting point of the ancient Silk Road and an important node city of the Belt and Road, having long nurtured an ethos of inclusiveness and enterprise. Xixian New Area is the country's first state-level new area themed on innovative urban development, shouldering the strategic mission of serving as an important fulcrum of the Silk Road Economic Belt — a land where history and modernity meet and China connects with the world. He hoped that young students across the country would always maintain their youthful aspirations, integrate the 'smaller self' of personal ideals into the 'greater self' of national development, uphold the way of cooperation, contribute youthful ideas and solutions to world peace and stability, and strive to grow into a new generation capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation.

Qu Xing, former Deputy Director-General of UNESCO and former Chinese Ambassador to Belgium,

Ambassador Qu Xing delivers remarks

Qu Xing, former Deputy Director-General of UNESCO and former Chinese Ambassador to Belgium, drew on his UNESCO experience to explain the important value of Model UN for young students. He pointed out that the educational core of Model UN highly aligns with the educational philosophy advocated by UNESCO: Model UN enables young students to understand the world through critical thinking, learn to coexist through collaboration, improve their abilities through practice, and embrace the future through responsibility, achieving truly all-round growth. He hoped the participating students would maintain a rigorous scholarly attitude, rational and critical thinking, and an inclusive, win-win mindset; respect rules, respect opponents and respect differences; think prudently, speak boldly and negotiate sincerely; and, in the near future, engage in global governance from different perspectives and contribute to the sustainable development of human society.

Chen Kai, Counselor of the MFA Department of International Organizations and Conferences, delivers remarks

In his remarks, Chen Kai, Counselor of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted that as we advance the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernization, we have never stood as close to the center of the world stage as we do today. Young people are the future of the country and the hope of the nation, and the Model United Nations conference is a quality practical platform helping young people embrace multilateralism, understand the international community and participate in global governance. Around the world, many Chinese diplomats are carrying out multilateral work to safeguard the interests of the motherland, including quite a few predecessors who started out in Model UN. He hoped the students would study international issues in Model UN discussions, cultivate an international vision, deepen their patriotic devotion, and write splendid chapters of youth in each of their life journeys.

Qing Qun, Secretary of the Party General Branch and Principal of Xi'an Tieyi High School, delivers remarks

In her remarks, Qing Qun, Secretary of the Party General Branch and Principal of Xi'an Tieyi High School, said that cultivating young people with an international vision is the due responsibility of basic education. She noted that since its founding nearly a century ago, Xi'an Tieyi High School's Model UN club has journeyed for seventeen years, winning many honors including the Best Organization Award at Peking University's Model UN and Best Delegation at the Shaanxi Provincial Model UN Conference, and that in 2025 two of its students took the podium at UN Headquarters, voicing Chinese youth perspectives on Belt and Road cooperation. She encouraged all participating students to hold themselves to the standards of young diplomats, temper their loyalty in firmly defending their national positions, hone their wisdom in multi-party coordination to seek consensus, and sharpen their courage in the clash of ideas and debates.

This conference established nine committees including the United Nations Economic and Social Council, the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Health Organization and the Main Press Center, with topics covering global hotspots such as 'eliminating the influence of terrorist online propaganda,' 'promoting inclusive and trustworthy digital health governance,' and 'promoting inclusive sports,' tracking frontier issues and closely addressing the questions of the times. Delegates will hold discussions on the topics and deeply simulate multilateral diplomatic practice through consultations, speeches and debates, and document drafting, honing cross-cultural communication skills and cultivating global governance literacy amid the clash of ideas, demonstrating the vision and sense of mission of young people of the new era who keep the world in heart.

After the opening ceremony, participating students attended a special lecture entitled 'International Organizations and Global Governance' delivered by Qu Xing, former Deputy Director-General of UNESCO and former Chinese Ambassador to Belgium. Drawing on his rich diplomatic experience and international organization experience, Ambassador Qu Xing systematically explained the functional architecture of international organizations and the current development of the global governance system, and shared core points on cultivating talent for international organizations as well as interview techniques for international organization recruitment. The lecture featured a lively interactive atmosphere with enthusiastic questions from students, and the whole event received a warm response.

During the conference, featured practical activities will also be held, including the annual meeting of the National High School Students Model United Nations Alliance, exchange events, and study tours to the Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall and Xi'an's historical and cultural sites.

Since its founding, the National High School Students Model United Nations Conference has continuously introduced Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy to high school students, guiding young students to deepen their devotion to family and country, broaden their international vision and enhance their capacity to participate in global governance. This year's event, held in Xi'an — the starting point of the ancient Silk Road — connects the millennia-old Silk Road civilization with the mission of young people in the new era, encouraging students to build consensus through consultation and dialogue and respond to common global challenges with youthful thinking, injecting vigorous youthful strength into advancing the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Reflections from Participating Teachers and Students

'Concepts such as the United Nations and national interests taught in textbooks are rather abstract and distant for high school students. The Model UN platform lets students step into the shoes of different countries and international organizations and intuitively experience the interplay of interests among parties. At the same time, the process of turning peace consensus into feasible resolutions also brings students extremely valuable practical experience.'

—— Zhao Yinghui, supervising teacher, Beijing No. 4 High School

'I hope all the young delegates will use this conference to appreciate international affairs and experience the unique charm of the diplomatic cause, integrate their personal ideals into the country's overall development, and grow into young reserve forces serving national development and social progress.'

—— Ma Jiajun, head of the CFAU academic team of the conference and Secretary-General of the CFAU Model United Nations Association

'The topics of this conference cover a wide range, all being current global hotspot issues. High school students from across the country gathered offline at Tieyi Jinwan Middle School in Xi'an, with a large number of participants spanning a wide geographic area. The conference adopted the Beijing Rules of Procedure formulated by China Foreign Affairs University — a detailed set of rules that gives students ample room for exchange and discussion.'

—— Yang Tangrui, conference delegate and student of Xi'an Tieyi High School