Gaston Chee was among the 40 young leaders recognised in a recent memoir launched by the Global Young Leaders Dialogue (GYLD).
The memoir was launched during the 2023 Global Young Leaders Dialogue (GYLD) forum held in Beijing on the 12th of August. This event was organised by the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), the Beijing Returned Overseas Chinese Federation and co-hosted by the Schwarzman Scholars and The Yenching Academy, which run postgraduate programs at Tsinghua University and Peking University respectively.
Held under the theme “Global Development and the Power of Youth,” the forum gathered more than 150 participants, including former heads of states, senior members of international organisations like the UN Secretary-General, WHO, UNESCO, and UN Women (participating online), as well as diplomatic staff from various embassies in Beijing. The list also encompassed international youth leaders, scholars, and representatives from international organisations across nearly 30 countries.
Discussions during the forum spanned diverse topics such as intercultural communication, climate change, sustainable urban development, and the pivotal role of education in sustainable development and youth empowerment.
Gaston Chee, the Managing Partner of LC Venture, first responded to a formal invitation to join GYLD in 2021. He has since remained actively engaged in various GYLD events and conferences, including the recent FISU GAMES 2023 conference held Chengdu.
GYLD initiative curates impactful activities aimed at fostering dialogue and interaction among young leaders, entrepreneurs, and academics, primarily in China. These initiatives including invitations to high-profile occasions like the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) consultative sessions at its headquarters in Beijing, providing a platform for insightful discussions and engagements with key Chinese government agencies. These efforts are tailored for a select group of members, ensuring valuable interactions and meaningful exchanges. Such events showcase China’s recent advancements in governance, technology, and economic development, fostering cultural and intellectual exchange among members and the local community.
“Together for a Shared Future”
The memoir is titled “Together for a Shared Future,” which echoes the motto of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games and a vision championed by CPC’s leadership, including President Xi Jinping, who has frequently referenced it in his speeches. The publication features stories from 40 young leaders and their China experience. GYLD has done a commendable work in compiling and publishing these narratives from various GYLD activities, including visits to strategically chosen locations marking pivotal moments in China’s political, economic, or cultural transformation, which show participants’ first-hand perspective on China’s dynamic evolution in the last few decades.
Each story overflows with accolades, praise, and astonishment, unveiling previously untold feats and accomplishments of China and its people.
Speaking during the book launch, dignitaries like the Prime Minister of Pakistan, H.E. Mr. Issac Herzog, and President of the State of Israel, H.E. Mr. Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, who joined the forum online also shared their own stories of China’s remarkable progress over recent decades.
Gaston’s contribution to the memoir is a cross-section of his experiences in China, since permanently relocating from the UK in 2012 to establish BeGo, an education consultancy firm that was offering application services to Chinese families. The company has since been fully acquired by LC Venture. Today, BeGo Education offers a flagship service known as the Private Family Education Office (PFEO), providing UHNW Chinese families with a boutique and comprehensive lifestyle and academic consultancy services.
In his contribution to the memoir, Gaston emphasises China’s remarkable progress over the past few decades, highlighting the transformation of a country he first encountered in his early years. His observation spans the tremendous feat of the infrastructural miracle such China’s rail network to all aspects of public services and the country’s economic achievements.
The launch of the memoir also coincided with the second anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s letter to GYLD. The letter, sent to members from over 28 countries in August 2021, commended the young leaders for actively exploring different parts of China and deepening their understanding of the country. He encouraged further exchanges, mutual learning, and contributions toward a shared global future. The full text of President Xi’s letter can be accessed here.
True to President Xi’s letter, as Gaston continues to explore and understand China, he says moving to the country he calls his second home has been one of his best decisions. During an interview with Yang Rui, the former host of the CCTV show, Dialogue Programme, Gaston Chee had said, “…[I] have never been prouder of my Chinese roots until I came to China. It is a country that is far too exciting and colourful to give up on and most exciting of all, its story is still being written.”
Like his fellow GYLD colleagues, Gaston’s China journey is unfolding and he too continues to write his own chapter in China’s story.
