Vietnamese Party chief’s spouse visits youth center in Beijing, highlights child education, exchanges

The visit took place as part of a state trip to China by Vietnam’s top leader from Tuesday to Friday.

At the center, Ly was briefed by officials on the Soong Ching Ling Foundation and toured facilities including Montessori learning spaces and classes on Peking opera, papermaking, ceramics, handicrafts, and traditional medicine.

She also experienced making a traditional herbal sachet using selected medicinal ingredients.

Ly said she was pleased to visit a center named after Soong Ching Ling, whom she described as a prominent Chinese figure who devoted her life to revolution, peace, international friendship, and the well-being of children.

Located in Beijing’s Haidian District, the center was built in 2016 and spans about 80,800 square meters, serving as a national-level model for youth education and international exchange.

The facility comprises five sections: experience, arts, education, performance, and exchange centers.

Ly said the center reflects a human-centered vision that places children at the heart of social development and demonstrates an educational approach combining learning with practice and experience.

She also expressed appreciation for the care provided by teachers and staff, saying investing in children is key to shaping the future of each nation.

Quoting educational views, Ly said successful education should not only produce skilled individuals but also responsible and compassionate citizens.

She added that Vietnam has long emphasized child-centered development policies, drawing on teachings by late President Ho Chi Minh on the importance of nurturing and educating children.

Ly noted that both Vietnam and China attach importance to child protection and education, adding that Vietnam was the first country in Asia and the second in the world to ratify the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.

She said that despite rapid advances in fields such as artificial intelligence, space science and biotechnology, the human factor remains central.

Ly stressed the need to foster creativity, problem-solving skills, and compassion among children, as well as promote cultural exchange to build mutual understanding in an increasingly interconnected world.

During the visit, students at the center performed a traditional Chinese opera piece, while a group of Vietnamese students participating in a cultural exchange program in Beijing also staged performances.

Ly said such activities help strengthen emotional connections between young people of the two countries and expressed confidence that the exchanges would contribute to long-term friendship between Vietnam and China.