The opening ceremony of the 21st Century Coca-Cola Cup national speaking competition unfolded to a packed auditorium on the campus of China Foreign Affairs University on Wednesday in Beijing, co-sponsored by China Daily and Coca-Cola China.

Zheng Qirong, vice-president of China Foreign Affairs University praised the competition for inspiring the country's youth to express the voice of China in English to audiences both at home and abroad.

"The university is proud to be the host of the launching ceremony of such a high-standard competition, with its time-honored tradition and immense popularity among college students," Zheng said.

Qu Yingpu, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily, reiterated the competition's contribution to English education in the country and improving the international communication ability of college students across the country.

"We are delighted to see that the young talents who stood out in the competition are gradually becoming the leading brains in their own fields," Qu said.

Bai Changbo, vice-president of Coca-Cola China, agreed: "Coca-Cola has been a committed sponsor to the distinguished speaking competition, and we are honored to extend this commitment as an endeavor to further boost young people's integration into the progress of globalization".

As a new approach to making contact with college students around the country, 21st Century Education Media also launched its interactive forum, which is expected to tour the country as the national competition gets running in the months ahead.

Sun Ning, deputy director of the Department of Translation and Interpretation of the Foreign Ministry - and also the top speaker at the 7th edition of the competition - was invited as the first guest of the forum to share his experiences with students on the CFAU campus.

"It is safe to say that my participation in the competition changed the course of my life," Sun said. "It was the initial push for the career I am pursuing with diligence and patriotism."

Participants from universities and colleges across the country will take up the topic "Seeing is Believing". The panel of judges will include experts from top universities and institutions as well as from the education and foreign affairs ministries.

The competition is also supported by the English-Speaking Union, Educational Testing Service, the British Council and other internationally recognized bodies.

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