Sabino Costanza, leader of the organizers of the G8 Youth Summit 2009, said young people must speak with one voice and call for greater cooperation among G8 and G20 leaders in dealing with global issues.

"China plays a global economic role that G8 members must consider more. Solutions to the financial crisis can be found only at a G8 enlarged level or G20 level," the former student of Bocconi University told Xinhua in an interview.

From Monday to Friday this week, Bocconi University in Milan hosted the G8 Youth Summit.

The annual gathering began in 2006 and usually takes place in the country where the G8 is organized. This year Italy holds the G8 presidency and is responsible for arranging all meetings including a summit in July.

Looking for a common ground, participants to the forum discussed the reform of international financial institutions, climate change, economic crisis, energy, environment and poverty.

Valerio Di Vicenzo, from the organizing committee, said: "China represents a powerful resource. G8 members must take China into greater consideration."

"There should be a common international regulation between developed and developing countries in many fields, such as on environmental issues," he told Xinhua.

Costanza and Vicenzo, both of whom are 25 years old and graduated from Bocconi University, are working for an international consultancy.

"The financial turmoil cannot be tackled at a national level, but globally. This is why Europe must speak with one voice," Vicenzo said.

Tao Weng, a 20-years-old exchange student at Bocconi University, is representing China at the Milan summit. "For me the G8 Youth Summit is a great opportunity to discuss important issues, to communicate and share knowledge," he told Xinhua.

"Today we are youths, but tomorrow we might be leaders in our countries," he said.

In Milan, the G8 youth summit demanded it be integrated into the greater "adult" G8 meeting. "We want to have our delegation of youths starting from the next summit. It's important we contribute our vision and ideas to the key decisions affecting our future," Costanza said.