A total of 40 young people from Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar on Sunday registered for a study course offered by the China Guangxi International Youth Exchange Institute.

Yu Yuanhui, secretary of the regional committee of Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said the foreign students will study China's economy and culture, and visit some areas of China and exchange views with local young people.

Aiming to strengthen cooperation and deepen friendship between Chinese young people and their peers in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the advanced training class was initiated jointly by the CYLC Central Committee and governments and youth organizations of the above mentioned countries.

Jananan Wottithawee, a Thai student, said he would make contribution to China-ASEAN exchanges and friendship.

The institute was established in March 2002. And the first term of the class was held from September last year and July this year, with 34 young people from Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia attending the class.

(Xinhua News Agency September 15, 2003)