EUROPEAN COMMISSION
PRESS RELEASE
Brussels, 28 November 2012
European Union set for new accord with China on
cultural cooperation
Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and
Youth, will reiterate the importance and benefits of increased cultural cooperation between
the European Union and China when she meets Ministers and senior officials in Beijing this
week (29 November-1 December). During her visit, the Commissioner and Chinese
Minister of Culture, Cai Wu, will adopt a new joint declaration on EU-China cultural
cooperation and take part in the closing ceremony of the 2012 EU-China Year of
Intercultural Dialogue. The Commissioner will also attend the launch of the first Online EU
Film Festival in China and a conference on multilingualism aimed at promoting the
teaching of EU languages in China and Mandarin in Europe.
"The European Union is committed to strengthening its cooperation with China in the areas
of culture, education, youth and multilingualism. This year has seen some important
milestones in this process with the launch of our High-Level People-to-People Dialogue and
the success of the EU-China Year of Intercultural Dialogue. These initiatives are helping to
bring our peoples closer together and I look forward to further deepening our ties during
this visit," said Commissioner Vassiliou.
On 29 November, the Commissioner will attend a gala evening at Beijing's first art house
cinema, the Broadway Cinematheque MOMA, to mark the launch of the 1st Online EU Film
Festival and celebrate the 5th 'traditional' EU Film Festival, which is taking place in
cinemas and cultural centres in four Chinese cities - Beijing, Chengdu, Shenzhen and
Tianjin. The Beijing event will include a screening of James Huth's French romantic
comedy Un bonheur n'arrive jamais seul (Happiness never comes alone), starring Sophie
Marceau and Gad Elmaleh.
On 30 November, the Commissioner is due to meet State Councillor Liu Yandong, to take
stock of the results so far of the People-to-People Dialogue launched in April (IP/12/381),
and with Education Minister Yuan Guiren to discuss extending cooperation on joint schools
and scholarships to boost learning mobility between the two regions. In the evening she
will attend the closing ceremony of the EU-China Year (IP/12/91), which has provided the
impetus for nearly 200 events. Together with Minister of Culture Cai Wu she will then
adopt the new joint declaration on cultural cooperation, which identifies priority areas of
mutual interest such as the creative and cultural sectors, cultural heritage and
contemporary arts.
IP/12/1276
On 1 December Commissioner Vassiliou will address the China-EU Conference on
Multilingualism. Organised with the Beijing Foreign Studies University and gathering 200
representatives from China and the EU, the event seeks to encourage training and
mobility for language students and teachers. She will then visit the China Europe
International Business School, where she will deliver a keynote speech on education and
employment.
Background
EU-China Year of Intercultural Dialogue
At the EU-China Summit in 2010, EU and Chinese leaders decided to designate 2012 as
the EU-China Year of Intercultural Dialogue. Events and projects that contributed to the
objectives of the EU-China Year were granted its official label. Almost 100 multilateral
events, involving two or more EU Member States, were part of the Year’s official calendar,
from 1 February-30 November. A further 100 bilateral projects also took place, covering
all cultural sectors as well as education, research, multilingualism and youth. The EUChina Year of Intercultural Dialogue is the second in a series of thematic years in EU-China
relations. 2011 was the EU-China Year of Youth.
EU-China High-Level People-to-People Dialogue
In May 2011, EU and Chinese leaders signed a declaration to extend the scope of their
cooperation by creating a 'third pillar' of their strategic partnership, through the EU-China
High-Level People-to-People Dialogue. This complemented the High-Level Economic and
Trade Dialogue ('first pillar') and the High-Level Strategic Dialogue ('second pillar'). The
people-to-people dialogue enjoys the same status as the other two dialogues and has a
flexible structure with low financial implications. It integrates existing dialogues on
education, culture, youth and multilingualism (IP/12/381).
Higher education, multilingualism and youth
The number of Chinese students at European universities has multiplied six-fold between
2000 and 2010, reaching a total of over 120 000. The EU has provided Erasmus Mundus
grants to more than 2 000 Chinese students in the past six years, allowing them to study
at a European university. Over the next four years, to 2016, the Chinese government has
committed to provide 10 000 scholarships to Europeans who wish to study at Chinese
universities.
Erasmus for All, the Commission's proposed new programme for education, training, youth
and sport for the period 2014-2020, will be open to non-EU countries, including China,
enabling European students and staff to receive grants to go to a non-EU country, as well
as for non-EU students and staff to come to study, train or teach in the European Union.
Cooperation in the area of multilingualism between China and the EU has developed
rapidly in recent decades and multilingualism is part of the High-Level People-to-People
Dialogue. The Commission's policy aims to promote the teaching and learning of European
and Chinese languages at international level, to explore new paths to enrich language
training and mobility for language students and teachers, and to underline the important
role of languages for cultural exchanges and people-to-people dialogue.
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In 2012 the Youth in Action programme provided around €1 million in support for 15
projects involving more than 100 Chinese and European youth organisations. The projects
developed joint activities linked to employment, volunteering and active participation of
young people in society.
Film
The aim of the 1st Online Film Festival is to enable a larger Chinese audience to see
European films. During the visit, Commissioner Vassiliou will explore whether steps can be
taken to avoid quotas and facilitate access to films. The European Union's MEDIA Mundus
programme supported screenings of Chinese films such as Back to 1942 by Feng Xiaogang
and Judge Archer by Xu Haofeng at the Rome Film Festival, as well as industry meetings
between EU and Chinese film-makers at the Udine, Warsaw and Rome film festivals. Each
year MEDIA Mundus allocates around €5 million in total for cooperation projects involving
EU film professionals and their counterparts from around the globe. The EU-China Trade
Project made a number of workshops and study visits possible in the cultural and creative
sectors.
Press conferences
Commissioner Vassiliou is due to take part in press conferences at the 1st Online Film
Festival (29 Nov, Broadway Cinematheque MOMA, 17:35-17:45); following the adoption of
the new joint declaration on EU-China cultural cooperation (30 Nov, National Art Museum
of China, 18:40-18:50); and during her visit to the China Europe International Business
School (1 December, 14:20-14:30).
For more information
EU-China High-Level People-to-People Dialogue
EU-China Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2012
MEDIA Mundus Programme
EU-China Trade Project
European Commission: Education and training
Androulla Vassiliou's website
Follow Androulla Vassiliou on Twitter @VassiliouEU
Contacts :
Dennis Abbott (+32 2 295 92 58); Twitter: @DennisAbbott
Dina Avraam (+32 2 295 96 67),
William Fingleton (EU Delegation in Beijing) (+86 108 45 48 000)
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