Asia Chamber of America Assistant Director Li Xue and local facilitator Mary Ann Borja shake hands as they pose for Variety.
CNMI students 14 to 28 years old can travel to China for the 2024 Global Youth Conference and China-U.S. Youth Camp set for July 11-24, 2024.
Participating students will gain first-hand insights into China’s educational landscape and immerse themselves in Chinese culture by visiting villages in Beijing, Jinan and Qingdao.
The cultural exchange program also includes hands-on workshops and historical discovery ventures at the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City.
The program will provide round-trip airline tickets from Saipan to Beijing and cover all 14 days of activities in China, including meals, lodging, inter-city transportation, classes/seminars, admissions to local attractions and travel insurance in the country.
Participating students, for their part, need to purchase travel insurance covering the trip from Saipan to China. They may get it from Moylan’s Insurance. The students may also prepare some pocket money to buy some souvenirs or snacks in China.
Aside from filling out an application form, students must submit an authorization letter or power of attorney as well as a liability waiver.
According to Li Xue, assistant director of the Asia Chamber of America, the program invites American students to come to China in the summer, and in the winter, they bring Chinese students to the U.S.
Li said it all started when Chinese President Xi Jinping met with President Joe Biden in California in November 2023. In the meeting, Li said, the Chinese leader expressed his desire to invite 50,000 young Americans to China. “That is the starting point,” Li said.
The deadline for submitting applications is June 24, Li said.
For more information, email local facilitator Mary Ann Borja at maryannbarriola@gmail.com or call her at (670) 785-6364. You may also call Lucy Zheng at (670) 285-9295.
