EU Delegation hosts annual new year reception with public and cultural diplomacy partners

10.01.2025

Beijing

Press and information team of the Delegation to CHINA

20250110_DELCHN_EUPOP media salon (1).JPG

The Delegation of the European Union to China in Beijing hosted the “EUPOP partners saloon”, a reception that brings together Chinese partners, media representatives, and EU Member States diplomats. The event acknowledged the support of local partners to the Delegation’s public diplomacy programme “EUPOP” (EU Policy, Culture, and Outreach Partnership in China) and its brand ‘KeystoEurope 解码欧洲’.

The Saloon was opened by H.E. Jorge Toledo, Ambassador of the European Union to China, who noted that “as we mark 50 years since the establishment of relations between the EU and China, 2025 offers a special opportunity to boost our collaborations.” He stressed that enhancing people-to-people level cooperation and keeping cultural exchanges open are essential to maintain bilateral links and provide a favourable environment for cooperation. The EU continues to invest in this important pillar of our bilateral relations.

EUPOP, under its brand ‘KeystoEurope 解码欧洲’, was launched in 2020 to foster mutual understating and people-to-people exchanges between the EU and China. In 2024, EUPOP has organized over numerous events, campaigns and social media publications in diverse fields such as cultural diversity, gender issues, and green transition.

Cases of good collaboration were presented by some EUPOP partners. Ms Li Shiyang, General Manager from Rare China Center for Behavior noted that participation of “Pride on Our Plates” project in the Sustainability Tour 2 campaign helped to demonstrate how the EU and China cooperate in food waste reduction. Mr Zou, Mingqing Vice-Dean of the China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy, explained how the institute has contributed to collaboration between the EU and China in education, science, and culture, wishing that exchanges and partnerships can multiply in the future.

During the event, EUPOP also presented its plans for 2025 and invited partners to continue collaborating in activities that foster people-to-people exchanges between the EU and China.

2025 holds special significance as we will mark the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of relations between the EU and China. EUPOP will organize multiple public diplomacy activities throughout the year, seeking to strengthen people-to-people exchanges and foster mutual understanding between the EU and China.

This event reaffirms that the EU continues committed to promote mutual understanding and to serve EU-China joint commitments on people-to-people exchanges. The High-Level People-to-People Dialogue (HPPD) between the European Union and China, launched in 2012, makes up the third pillar of EU-China relations, along with the High-Level Strategic Dialogue and the High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue. The theme of the sixth and last edition of the EU-China High-Level People-to-People Dialogue, which took place on 29 March 2024, was “working together for a greener and more sustainable future”. Enhancing people-to-people level cooperation and keeping cultural exchanges open are essential to maintain bilateral links and provide a favourable environment for cooperation.