On the afternoon of September 6th, the second meeting for the Mechanism on EU-China High-Level People to People Dialogue (HPPD) was held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. The Chinese co-Chairman of the EU-China HPPD, Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong, and the European co-Chairman, Commissioner of the Directorate General for Education and Culture Androulla Vassiliou presided over the meeting together and jointly signed the “Joint Communique.” Renmin University of China, Fudan University, Sichuan University, and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB, or the Free University of Brussels) will work together to establish the Brussels Academy of China and European Studies (BACES).

Liu Yandong first read out a letter of congratulations from President Xi Jinping to the second meeting of the Mechanism on China-EU HPPD. She went on to say that since China and the EU established the diplomatic relationship nearly 40 years ago, the two sides have been supporting each other with mutual benefit and win-win results, and have achieved fruitful results in cooperation in various fields. At present, the most important task facing China-EU relations is to properly implement the consensus reached by their respective leaders, to put into place the four major partnerships between China and the EU for peace, growth, reform and civilization and to advance China-EU relations to a new level.

Liu Yandong continued by saying that with the common care and support of leaders of both China and the EU, the Mechanism on China-EU HPPD has made positive progress, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, political mutual trust, and economic and trade cooperation have become the three major pillars of China-EU relations. The two sides should seize the opportunities of development, steadily keep the general direction of comprehensive strategic partnership, respect each other and be inclusive, and work together to build the “Chinese Dream”, the “European Dream” and the “Dream of the World.”

Vassiliou followed by first reading out a letter of congratulation to the meeting from President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso. She said that EU-China exchanges and cooperation in the people-to-people and cultural field have made constant progress in recent years, and have constituted an important part of EU-China relations. In the future, the EU will work with China to expand fields of cooperation and provide long-lasting momentum for an EU-China comprehensive strategic partnership.

The meeting attendees witnessed Liu Yandong and Vassiliou signed the “Joint Communique”, the China Scholarship Council and the College of Europe sign a cooperative agreement, and Chairman of the RUC University Council Jin Nuo and a College of Europe official jointly inaugurate BACES.

Before the meeting, as a part of the second meeting of the EU-China HPPD’s series of activities and jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council, RUC, Fudan University, and Sichuan University, Chinese and European students and professors held a meet and greet. In addition to Vice Premier Liu, Commissioner Vassiliou, and Chairman Jin Nuo, Vice President Yi Zhihong, Professor Yang Huilin.

The Mechanism on EU-China High-Level People to People Dialogueoriginally began with the first meeting in April 2012. It was established to promote understanding between Europe and China through the exchange of education and culture, as well as the development of our next generation.

During an official visit of the President Xi Jinping to the EU and Belgium in March of this year, he and RUC President Chen Yulu attended the Vrije Universiteit Brusselas distinguished guests and signed another collaborative agreement with VUB and the College of Europe. During this time Renmin University, Fudan University, Sichuan University, and VUB signed another cooperative agreement for BACES that established the Huawei Chair for Contemporary China Studies. Huawei will commit financial support annually for the Academy.