The China International Youth Exchange Center (CIYEC) signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Europe Asia Center in Beijing on May 10. The two sides will jointly plan and organize a diverse range of cultural and sports exchange activities for young people from China and Europe. They will hold training programs for young workers and professionals, jointly plan and implement China-Europe youth green development cooperation projects, and co-host exchange programs for young entrepreneurs and startup founders, building a broader platform for China-Europe youth exchange and cooperation.

Noting that this year marks the beginning of a new 20-year milestone for China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, Liu Aiping, Chairman of the Governing Council of the CIYEC, said that the CIYEC is willing to take the signing of this memorandum of cooperation as an opportunity to cooperate with the Europe Asia Center in building a platform and providing services to strengthen cultural exchanges and practical cooperation between young people from China and Europe, thus contributing youthful energy to deepening and solidifying China-EU cooperation.

Erik Solheim, Co-Chair of the Europe Asia Center, said that exchanges and cooperation among young people worldwide are of great significance in promoting world peace and development and building a better world. He expressed his hope that more opportunities will be created for young people from China and Europe in the fields of technological innovation, environmental protection, culture, and sports through cooperation between the two sides, jointly making positive contributions to achieving world peace and prosperity.

Irina Bokova, former director-general of UNESCO, and Jean De Ruyt, Co-Chairman of the Europe Asia Center and former permanent representative of Belgium to the EU, along with other board members of the Europe Asia Center and Chinese youth representatives, attended the signing ceremony of the memorandum of cooperation between the CIYEC and the Europe Asia Center. They also engaged in discussions on fostering collaboration and exchange between young people from China and Europe.

Li Xiaodong, member of the 13th Standing Committee of the All-China Youth Federation and Founding Director of Fuxi Institution, said that China's rapid development of internet infrastructure, coupled with its vast user base, has positioned itself as one of the world’s largest internet markets. Noting that the digital economy in China is demonstrating immense potential and there is extensive room for collaboration between China and Europe in this area, Li suggested the two sides share knowledge, technology, and experiences to jointly address challenges and achieve win-win cooperation. He expressed the hope that the platform established by the two sides will provide more opportunities for exchange among young technological workers.

De Ruyt said that dialogue and communication between China and Europe are pivotal for enhancing mutual understanding and addressing challenges in cooperation, with the youth playing a crucial role in this process. He noted that the EU has established various exchange mechanisms such as the Erasmus program to strengthen interactions among young individuals from different nations, expressing the hope that the memorandum of cooperation will serve as a platform for fostering exchange and collaboration among more young people from China and Europe, thus playing a significantly positive role in deepening China-Europe relations.

Noting that China and Europe have a long-standing collaborative foundation in the field of biodiversity conservation, Xu Weihua, Deputy Director of the Institute of National Parks at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Leader of the Chinese Expert Group of Biodiversity Key Areas of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, said that in the future, the two sides can strengthen cooperation in relevant areas, especially through this platform. The two sides can jointly address the challenges of climate change and promote mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Europe with the help of young scientists from China and Europe, he added.

Bokova said that youth are full of creativity, curiosity, and open-mindedness and possess independent insights in regard to climate change response, energy crises, and environmental issues, making them a key force in tackling global challenges. Youth exchange and cooperation between China and Europe hold great potential, she said, adding that she believes that the memorandum of cooperation will play a positive role in enhancing mutual understanding and strengthening collaboration between Chinese and European youth.

Aiken Zou Shasha, Founder and CEO of AHA Entertainment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and a young global leader at the World Economic Forum in Davos, said that culture serves as the bond for youth exchanges across nations, functioning as the universal language that binds global youth together. She expressed the hope to bolster exchanges and collaborations in the realm of cultural creativity, particularly in animation, with European youth organizations and partners, in a bid to jointly create premium content, nurture young cultural and creative talents from China and Europe, and facilitate dialogue and cultural exchanges between the two civilizations.

Sheila Arora, Board Member of the Europe Asia Center, suggested establishing platforms that facilitate the growth and broaden the horizons of more youth from China and Europe. She expressed the hope to see more cultural exchanges between the East and the West, encouraging youth from diverse cultural backgrounds to actively engage in the cultural and creative industries and incorporate traditional cultural elements, so as to promote the integration and innovation of Eastern and Western cultures.

Jia Tiesong, Deputy Director of the CIYEC, Yan Rui, Secretary-General of the Europe Asia Center, and the center’s board member Shen Wei, as well as the members of working teams from both sides, participated in the signing ceremony and the Seminar on Youth Exchange & Cooperation between the CIYEC and the Europe Asia Center.