As the 2011 EU-China Year of Youth kicks off in Brussels on Tuesday, Chinese young people are given a chance to speak to global audiences about their ideas and perspectives on Sino-EU relationships at the first-ever youth dialogue on a state level between China and EU.
Chinese student representatives pose for a photo after a panel conference for the 2011 EU-China Year of Youth, Brussels, January 11, 2011. [Photo: Youth.cn]
For many of China’s 15 visiting university students, it marks their first trip to Europe. The brief sightseeing of Brussels is arguably a refreshing treat to light up the spirit – they posted dozens of photos on their micro-blog pages although being much engaged with the tight schedule of seminars, panel discussions and other themed events to meet with European young people.
Their debut appearance at such breakthrough diplomatic occasions for youth is surely a prompt to a rush of outpourings on their micro-blogs.
"I’m looking forward to the launch events through the following week, and by the way, I love the damp wind and the floating clouds of Brussels,” Lan Lan, a student from Shanghai Maritime University, tweeted on her page on her arrival in the Belgian city.
Lan Lan's mini-blog post
"Glad I came across a few foreign friends I made at the Shanghai Expo last year, and they still remember me,” she wrote in another post.
"The first time I’ve entered EU headquarter and talked with European youth representatives about the most concerned issues, … I think the first step of cooperation is to let our real voices be heard, despite how much we are different from each other,” wrote Cai Mengyin, a journalist from China Youth Daily.
Cai Mengyin's mini-blog post
"TV Taxi had an interview with me and I called on European young people to come and see the real China. Not only do we have metropolises as Beijing and Shanghai, but also barren lands that stretch deep in; the expanding diversity of China’s society is probably beyond the imagination of Europeans,” she continued in another entry.
"Culture is not a symbol standing alone, experience matters more for Chinese and European youth,” Wuhan University student Li Hanzhao blogged.
Student representatives have left over 200 comments about the 2011 EU-China Year of Youth on Tencent’s micro-blog as of today.
