LONDON - Relations between China and the European Union (EU) are expected to get a boost from year-long cultural activities and academic exchanges targeted at youth to cement better understanding and appreciation of cross-cultural differences.

The launch of the China-EU Year of Youth at the Chinese embassy in the United Kingdom on Friday afternoon attracted huge interest from British youth organizations and universities.

It is the first of such event jointly hosted by China and the EU since they established diplomatic relations. It is also by far the largest cultural exchange between the people of China and the EU.