Young faces beamed as they received gifts of footballs, basketballs, volleyballs and other sporting goods as well as school supplies including schoolbags and desk lamps. With gratitude, students of the Institute of Sports and Physical Education (Yangon) performed aerobics to welcome the Chinese guests.

On the afternoon of January 15, the "Brightness & Books" donation ceremony was held at the Institute of Sports and Physical Education (Yangon). With support from China's State Council Information Office (SCIO), the Sport and Physical Education Department of the Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports, the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar and China International Publishing Group (CIPG), the charity event was hosted by the Beijing MW Foundation and China Report Press under CIPG.

Distinguished guests attending the ceremony included Xu Lin, minister of the SCIO, U Kyaw San, director-general of the Sport and Physical Education Department of the Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports, Du Zhanyuan, president of CIPG, and Yang Shouzheng, counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar. Chen Shi, deputy editor-in-chief of CIPG and honorary president of the Beijing MW Foundation, presided over the donation ceremony.

Addressing the ceremony, Xu noted that Myanmar is a tight neighbor of China and that the two peoples enjoy a long-standing traditional friendship. In recent years, high-level visits between leaders of the two countries have increased, economic relations have improved, and cultural exchange has been enhanced, fueling China and Myanmar’s joint efforts to build a community of shared future while propelling the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiation, he added. "On the eve of President Xi Jinping's state visit to Myanmar, the charity event is intended to express our wishes for the future of Myanmar through the donation of school supplies and sports equipment," declared the minister. "A Chinese saying goes, 'If the youth are wise, society will be wise; if the youth are strong, society will be strong.' I sincerely hope that the youth of Myanmar will achieve healthy growth, serve the nation to their fullest, and promote Paukphaw [fraternal] friendship between the two countries across generations."

Against a cheerful and festive backdrop, U Soe Aung, director of the Yangon provincial sports authority and principal of the Institute of Sports and Physical Education (Yangon), and student representatives accepted the donated materials. U Kyaw San, director-general of the Sport and Physical Education Department of the Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports, declared in a speech that the charity activity not only brought tools to study and exercise, but also highlighted the deep friendship from China for the children, vividly manifesting Paukhaw friendship between China and Myanmar. He expressed hopes for further cooperation with China to expand exchange and interaction between the peoples of the two countries.

After the donation event, students of the Institute of Sports and Physical Education were engaged in a friendly football match and invited Minister Xu Lin to kick off the game. Players competed fiercely, and their exceptional skills inspired cheers from guests and teachers and students in the crowd. After the match, CIPG President Du Zhanyuan presented the trophy to the winning team.

Launched by the Beijing MW Foundation, "Brightness & Books" is an international assistance program aiming to help elementary and secondary school students in developing countries along the Belt and Road. The program is designed to promote basic education development through donations of schoolbags, books, writing and teaching materials and other items. So far, a series of donation activities under the charity program have been organized in Cambodia, Laos, Rwanda, Papua New Guinea, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, which were all well received by local governments, teachers, students and the general public.

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