The 2011 EU-China Year of Youth was successfully launched on 11 January 2011 in Brussels by Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, and Wang Xiao, President of the All-China Youth Federation (ACYF), in the presence of Miklós Soltész, Hungarian Minister of State responsible for Social, Family and Youth Affairs and of German Olympic gold-medal winning fencer Britta Heidemann, one of the goodwill Ambassadors of the Year.
The opening ceremony gathered over 400 participants, including 200 young people from all over the EU and China who were involved in a series of lively debates over two days around the following topics: Non-formal learning and youth work activities for young people; Youth volunteering; Student exchanges, researchers' and academic mobility; Access of young people to culture and creativity.
Commissioner Vassiliou and ACYF President Wang Xiao also signed a joint declaration on strengthening dialogue and cooperation between the EU and China on youth issues.
The opening ceremony gathered over 400 participants, including 200 young people from all over the EU and China who were involved in a series of lively debates over two days around the following topics: Non-formal learning and youth work activities for young people; Youth volunteering; Student exchanges, researchers' and academic mobility; Access of young people to culture and creativity.
Commissioner Vassiliou and ACYF President Wang Xiao also signed a joint declaration on strengthening dialogue and cooperation between the EU and China on youth issues.