Brussels, 03/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - The EU-China Year for Intercultural Dialogue 2012 was officially launched by Androulla Vassiliou, EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, with Cai Wu, Minister for Culture of the People's Republic of China, on Wednesday 1 February. A large number of events and projects will be organised during the year, with a view to strengthening intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding through cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts. Structured and sustainable cooperation will be established between the EU and China during 2012 and beyond. The Danish Presidency of the EU Council has made external relations a top priority in cultural matters, with specific emphasis on EU-China relations, Vassiliou was pleased to point out in her opening speech. The EU-China Year for Intercultural Dialogue shows that links between the two continents go far beyond economic and political relations and underlines the resolve on the part of both sides to highlight the role of culture in a globalised world. In two weeks' time, the EU-China Summit will establish a “third pillar” in the EU-China strategic partnership, a pillar dedicated to people-to-people contacts and including the field of culture, Vassiliou said. The main instrument set in place will be a new High-Level People-to-People Dialogue, which will have the specific task of enhancing cultural relations and expanding people-to-people exchanges. The first annual meeting of the dialogue is to be held this spring, in Brussels. (IL/transl.jl)