May 9th marks Europe Day, and the Delegation of the European Union to China has invited all the country members of European Union in Beijing to celebrate the occasion together.

During the ceremony, the head of the Delegation to China emphasized the importance of the relationship between the EU and China. He also announced the two sides are planning a series of activities this year to strengthen exchanges.

This is the new ambassador of the European Union to China. He has only held the post for 4 months, but by the end of March this year, he launched a micro blog called European Union in China.

Markus Ederer, head of Delegation of the European Union, said, "In China, we want to meet more, particular young people, you know, in our daily work of the delegation, social media is a good way to meet them, to learn about them and let them learn about us."

The author updates micro blog every day, concerning European Union members' history, culture, customs and celebrities. What's more, the young people of the EU and China have opportunities this year to visit embassies in China or in Europe, where they can ask questions directly to ambassadors.

Markus Ederer said, "We have a lot of groups visiting your country. I have been a lot of universities, and a few days ago, so welcome everybody to enjoy the year of youth."

A series of exchange activities is also planned to be held throughout this year. From May 6th to June 3rd, every member of the European Union in China will take a turn at organizing a typical activity for the young people in China.

China and European Union first forged diplomatic ties 35 years ago. And now, 2011 is the EU-China Year of Youth. All of programs involved, aim at strengthening understanding and friendship, as well as supporting the development of bilateral exchanges.