This Day, That Year

Editor’s Note: This year marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up policy.

In May 2002, five youth volunteers — the first such team China had ever sent out for overseas service — left Beijing for six months of voluntary service in Laos. It marked the start of the country’s youth volunteer service program, organized by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and the China Young Volunteer Association.

Since then, hundreds of volunteers have been sent to dozens of countries, including Thailand, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Guyana.

In May 2002, the International Conference on Voluntary Service was held in Beijing. It released a declaration calling for further exchanges and cooperation with volunteer organizations worldwide.

Since 1963, when China sent its first medical team to Algeria — mostly volunteers — it has sent upward of 25,000 medical volunteers to more 60 countries.

Since 2004 when the country’s first five volunteer teachers were sent to teach Chinese in Mauritius, about 5,600 have been dispatched to more than 100 countries.

As of September, China had more than 50 million registered volunteers. The Communist Youth League of China has released a guideline that aims to increase the number of registered youth volunteers to 100 million by 2025.