Brussels, 11/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on Tuesday 11 January, Education, Culture and Youth Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou and President of the All-China Youth Federation Wang Xiao opened the EU-China Year of Youth, in the presence of 200 young people from the EU and China. Vassiliou and Wang also signed a joint declaration establishing a policy dialogue in youth affairs. Over the last three years, China and the EU have sought to deepen relations on a number of issues, including education, culture and youth, and have signed joint declarations in these areas (see EUROPE 10130). “The EU-China Year of Youth will open up new horizons for our young people by enabling them to share experiences and learn from each other. I hope that such exchanges will inspire concrete ideas for cooperation and establish long-lasting partnerships,” said Vassiliou. “The Year will provide an interactive platform for European and Chinese young people to enhance mutual understanding and friendship through creativity, tolerance and openness,” Wang stated.
2011 was designated the EU-China Year of Youth at the 12th EU-China summit held in Nanjing in November 2009. In October 2010 Commissioner Vassiliou and the vice-president of the All-China Youth Federation signed a joint action plan for the EU-China Year of Youth. This defined a general framework for the year, which will include several flagship events in the EU and China. It also laid the basis for a policy dialogue with regular exchanges on youth-related issues including voluntary activities, in particular linked to the 2011 European Year of Volunteering, youth employment and entrepreneurship, youth involvement in society, and youth work development. A €3 million call for proposals for international youth projects, which will include a special focus on China, will be published in February 2011. (I.L./transl.rt)