Your Excellencies, 

Dear colleagues of the European Union Member States and the diplomatic corps in Beijing,

Dear partners in education, cultural exchanges and public diplomacy,

Media partners,

Friends,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my great honour to welcome you to this music event. Today, May 9^th, we celebrate Europe Day.

75 years ago on this day the Schuman Declaration launched the European integration project, which has now become the European Union. From the outset, the EU was and is essentially a peace project. The Union has delivered the longest period of peace and prosperity in history for its Member States. At 75 years old, the European Union continues to be strongly committed – not only at home but also with the World – to peace, partnership, universal human rights, international cooperation and a global order based on international law with the UN at its core. 

This year we also celebrate the 50^th anniversary of EU-China diplomatic relations. Over the past 50 years, both the European Union and China have undergone profound transformations. At the same time, our relationship has matured into one of the most important and multifaceted bilateral relations in the world. The rapid growth of our exchanges, while creating some solid links and cooperation mechanisms, have also created imbalances. The EU and China need to take this anniversary as an opportunity to rebalance the relationship.

Engagement – meaningful and leading towards progress – is essential to improve our bilateral relations. Just as the title of this music event suggests, engagement also takes shape through cultural dialogues between the people of the EU and China. Discovering each other’s culture helps to bring us closer. Cultural and people-to-people exchanges can contribute to the foundation of trust and understanding that will guide us in improving our bilateral relations, honouring commitments, addressing global challenges and seizing new opportunities. 

The European Union and its Member States are committed to support people-to-people exchanges and to promote mutual understanding between the people of the EU and China. The programme of today’s event, jointly commissioned by the European Union, Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary,  Italy, the Netherlands, and Romania , showcases this commitment. After the commemorative performance on the anniversary of EU-China relations, entitled “The Bridge of Reunion: A Journey of EU-China Friendship”, we can enjoy a rich and diverse programme of European classical music

Cultural diversity is at the very heart of the European Union's foundation and we remain committed to respect and protect every different culture. It is therefore a great pleasure to be here with you today to celebrate this treasured heritage and foster exchanges with Chinese people. 

Enjoy the show!

Thank you.