• H2020
• Policy & Research

European Commissioner Tibor Navracsics met with Chinese Vice-Premier Liu Yandong on 13-14 November 2017 to discuss education, culture, youth and sport.

It was on the occasion of the 4th EU-China High Level People-to-People Dialogue in Shanghai.

The dialogue was launched in 2012 to build trust and understanding between the peoples of the EU and China.

This year’s exchanges focused on culture, but education, gender equality, youth and, for the first time, sport were also discussed.

Following the meeting, Navracsics said: “The EU and China increasingly share global responsibilities. We work together on complex issues, from fighting poverty and tackling climate change to boosting trade and security. We build on shared views but sometimes we need to bridge differences. Promoting mutual understanding and respect between our people and cultures is therefore today more important than ever if we want to succeed.”

Over the past decade the EU and China have closely co-operated in the areas of education, training, culture, multilingualism and youth through sector-focused policy dialogues.

The two parties took stock of progress achieved under Erasmus+ mobility actions. Since 2015, more than 4,000 students and staff have already benefitted from the programme.

Additionally, with over 70 universities participating in the action, China remains the top beneficiary of capacity-building projects among partner countries, contributing to the modernisation and internationalisation of China’s higher education system.

In research and innovation, following the outcome of the 3rd China-EU High Level Innovation Cooperation Dialogue held on 2 June 2017, both parties agreed to boost researchers’ mobility through Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.

In the framework of the dialogue on gender equality, both sides discussed how to improve women’s economic empowerment and work-life balance.