EU-China Year of Youth 2011 opened this week in Beijing as around 90 youth delegates from European Union countries began an eight-day visit to China on Monday.

At a press conference held Monday, newly appointed head of the Delegation of the European Union to China Ambassador Markus Ederer and All-China Youth Federation (ACYF) Assistant President Ni Jian announced that 78 events will be held this year in China and the EU.

At a press conference held Monday, newly appointed head of the Delegation of the European Union to China Ambassador Markus Ederer and All-China Youth Federation (ACYF) Assistant President Ni Jian announced that 78 events will be held this year in China and the EU. China will host the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the Youth Forum for Sustainable Development. Other events will focus on volunteering, culture, entrepreneurship and innovation.

ACYF Deputy Secretary General Dong Xia said the youth organizations will focus on building partnerships of exchange and cooperation, and all the events aim at promoting youth participation and engagement in all areas of EU-China cooperation.

In January, ACYF President Wang Xiao led a delegation of 100 to Brussels, Belgium to meet with their 100 European counterparts for the first time. During the visit, Chinese and EU leaders signed the first joint declaration for strengthening dialogue and cooperation on youth issues.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and EU President Jose Manuel Barroso designated 2011 as the Europe-China Year of Youth at the 12th China-EU summit on November 30, 2009. It is the first theme year since China and EU established diplomatic relations in 1975.