Youth voices highlight China-EU ties ahead of 50th anniversary

As China and the EU mark 50 years of diplomatic relations on May 6, a creative contest hosted by the Chinese Mission to the EU on Monday cast a refreshing spotlight on the power of people-to-people ties to steer relations towards a brighter future.

Speaking at the awards ceremony for the 'Reviewing the 50-Year Journey of China-EU Relations, Joining Hands to Embrace a Shared Future' creative contest, Ambassador Cai Run, Head of the Chinese Mission to the EU, emphasized the deep significance of the occasion.

"50 years ago, the older generations of Chinese and European leaders, with their extraordinary political courage, broke through the Cold War barriers and made the decision to establish diplomatic relations," said Cai.

"In this world full of changes and turbulence, China stands ready to join hands with Europe to inject certainty into the world with the stability of China-EU relations."

The event brought together participants from both sides of the continent, many of whom shared emotional reflections on the cultural bridges they have built through personal experiences.

Ambassador Cai underscored the crucial role of cultural exchanges in sustaining China-EU relations. He pointed out that European literary giants such as Hugo and Shakespeare remain household names in China, while works like The Three-Body Problem have found a wide readership among Europeans.

"It is even more gratifying that the younger generation of China and Europe generally have friendly sentiments towards each other," he said. "There are winners and losers in competitions, but there is no distinction in the contributions to China-Europe friendship."

The Ambassador also highlighted recent efforts to boost youth exchanges, noting that President Xi Jinping's initiative to double the scale of European youth exchanges within three years is already under way. Meanwhile, China's new unilateral visa-free policy for 24 EU member states is making travel "more spontaneous" and accessible.

Voices from a new generation

First Prize winner Sander Kale, who lived in China for much of his childhood, stressed the transformative power of language and first-hand experience.

"For a long time, I didn't speak Chinese. Once I learned Chinese, I felt like everything clicked," said Kale. "If you don't speak Chinese, it's almost impossible to really understand the culture. You can get an image, but you can't really understand it without Chinese."

His winning video, offering a personal and nuanced portrayal of life in China, struck a chord both at the awards and online. "A lot of people saw it as a fresh perspective," he said. "For me, it's just a positive way forward if the EU works more with China. Otherwise, it's going to be 'luo-hou' - fall behind."

Kale also observed that perceptions of China have become more positive recently, especially among younger audiences engaging through platforms like YouTube.

Friendship beyond politics

Second Prize winner Francesco Morra captured the essence of grassroots diplomacy, arguing that meaningful connections begin not with politicians but with everyday people.

"We have to start this relation by the people," Morra said. "You cannot stop the people - you cannot stop the Chinese people, you cannot stop the European people from creating a relationship. From this relation, of course, you start that future."

Comparing cultural exchanges to the transformative Erasmus programme in Europe, Morra suggested that such initiatives could form the bedrock of future global understanding.

Third Prize winner Nina Ebel shared a similar view: "If we can continue moving in the right direction, that would be great. Experiencing China first-hand is different from hearing about it."

Bridging gaps to address misconceptions

Another First Prize winner, Belgian journalist Lidewij Nuitten, admitted that years of media stereotypes had shaped her early views. "Now I have started opening my eyes and seeing that we share much more than we think we do," she said.

For others, the contest became a journey of personal discovery. Noëmi Plateau, adopted from China to Belgium in 1997, spoke candidly about overcoming early misconceptions. "When I was smaller, the connotation of China was not usually positive. But then we went there - I really fell in love with the country."

Now learning Chinese and searching for her biological parents, Plateau embodies the living bond between Europe and China: "I really feel I'm part Chinese and part Belgian. And I'm very happy about it actually."

At the awards ceremony, Plateau spoke to CGTN Europe, hoping to be contacted at noemi.plateau@hotmail.com if there are clues regarding her biological parents in China.

Looking ahead

As the world watches the evolving China-EU dynamic - with tensions over trade, technology, and tariffs dominating headlines - this ceremony aims to reframe China-EU relations from a human perspective.

"Every effort is immensely precious, and every act of kindness shines brightly," the Chinese ambassador said in closing. "This creative contest is just a beginning."