Opening speech by EU Ambassador Jorge Toledo at the European Culture Street in Guangzhou

Good day everybody.

I am so happy to be in Guangzhou. It is not raining just when we are celebrating the European Culture Street.

Dear representatives of the Guangdong Provincial Government, Guangzhou City Government, local authorities,

Dear Deputy Director General of Guangdong Foreign Affairs Office, thank you very much for all your help.

But especially thank you to the citizens of Guangzhou that have come in great numbers to the European Culture Street. Thank you for coming.

It is an honour to be in Guangzhou to open to open this event and present to you the cultural diversity of the European Union. The Delegation of the European Union to China and the European Union Member States are committed to support people-to-people exchanges and to promote mutual understanding between the people of the European Union and China.

Because the Delegation of the European Union to China works alongside with the diplomatic missions and cultural institutes of European Union Member States in China, this event is an example of this collaboration that we call TEAM EUROPE. At the moment, 10 European Union Member States have established Consulates General in Guangzhou. For the Delegation of the European Union and the EU Member States, who support an important community of EU citizens living and working in this region, we agreed that Guangzhou would be the perfect location for the European Culture Street 2024, after previous editions of this event took place in Beijing and Shanghai and were interrupted by the pandemic.

Guangzhou is one of the most vibrant and five largest cities of China. Because of its location between inland rivers and the sea, this city has been a meeting point with foreign cultures throughout history, especially this island. Today, Guangzhou is again the meeting point with European cultures.

Allow me again to thank the Guangdong Provincial Government. We - the Danish Ambassador and I - had the pleasure to meet the Governor yesterday. Also to thank the Guangzhou city government, the local authorities involved and the Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their support and help during the preparations of this European Culture Street. I also want to thank the 120 students from Jinan University and the South China Business College of the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies and that volunteers to work in this event today. Please give them a round of applause.

Today, the EU Delegation and the EU Member States are showcasing traditional cuisine, music, dances, travel destinations, heritage, literature, paintings and other art expressions, sports culture, and other traditions from the 27 European Union Member States.

Europe is a diverse and multi-talented continent, with rich traditions and culture, and immense creativity. EU Member States' embassies and cultural institutes in China support and promote access to European culture and creativity. The EU Delegation works with them and other local partners to promote meaningful exchanges with Chinese people. The success of these exchanges will also depend on the space granted by Chinese authorities for diplomatic missions and institutes of culture to organise such exchanges. I am certain that China would also benefit if it would enlarge that space.

The opportunity for EU-China collaboration in cultural exchanges lies on creating good conditions for cross-cultural dialogues. Cultural exchanges can take multiple shapes through which we can learn about different perspectives and deepen our knowledge of each other's cultures - travels, language lessons, sharing stories and practices, processes of artistic co-creation, experiencing each other's traditions, observing each other's artistic performances, and many more.

In the future, we look forward to see more European students, academics, authors, artists, curators, athletes and agents of culture coming to China to participate in cross-cultural activities and joint projects. The doors of the European Union remain open for Chinese people to study and engage in cultural exchanges.

The theme of the European Culture Street this time is "Quality of Life" and visitors will see how culture interacts with nature, sports, healthy lifestyles, education, and other dimensions of quality of life. This event is an opportunity to experience the cultural diversity, sustainability and inclusiveness of the European Union.

Dear visitors,

Dear friends,

Dear guests,

Your cultural experience with Europe starts today here. I invite you now to visit the booths of each EU Member State to learn more about our different cultures and sustainability. But especially I want to invite you to visit Europe to see first-hand this diversity of very ancient cultures.

We have some gifts reserved for those of you participating in quizzes and other interactive activities. I hope that you enjoy this experience.

Thank you very much for coming. Enjoy. Xiexie.

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