On February 4th, the press conference for the survey report "China in the Eyes of European Youth - European Youth's Views on China Europe Relations" was held in Beijing. A survey shows that 82% of European youth hold a positive view of China, 94% of respondents expect the Chinese economy to continue to grow in the next 10 years, and 72% of respondents tend to define the EU China relationship as friendly or primarily focused on cooperation. The results show that the younger generation in Europe is gradually surpassing traditional geopolitical narratives and single value frameworks in their understanding of China, exhibiting more pragmatic, open, and rational characteristics. The overall tone of their understanding of China is friendly and future oriented. This provides an important social and public opinion foundation for China and Europe to work together to promote a more stable, harmonious, and sustainable future of bilateral relations, and also indicates that both sides are expected to build a more resilient and dynamic partnership. This survey was commissioned by the European Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the China Central and Eastern European Research Institute to be conducted by the French public opinion survey agency CSA Research Institute. The survey will be conducted from October 21 to November 25, 2025, covering 36 European countries and targeting nearly 20000 European youth aged 18 to 35. Data collection and analysis will be conducted from four dimensions: China contact, China impression, China influence, and the future of China Europe relations. The system presents the overall understanding of European youth towards China and the relationship between Europe and China. A survey shows that approximately 86% of European youth have never been to China, and this group highly relies on digital platforms to obtain information related to China, with social media and video platforms being the main sources of information. European youth generally have a positive overall impression of China, with Southeast Europe, Spain, and the United Kingdom being particularly prominent. The report states that in the above-mentioned regions and countries, China is usually regarded as a country characterized by diligence, long culture, and cultural traditions, and is a globally influential power. The survey results show that what impresses European youth the most is Chinese culture and history, followed by technological strength, and third is economic strength. Regarding the image of Chinese youth, European youth believe that the most impressive are the young scientists in China. Young talents in fields such as economics, science, entrepreneurship, academia, and culture are considered important advantages for China to compete with major global economies. European youth generally show a positive willingness to engage in different forms of exchanges with China. 88% of young European respondents expressed willingness to participate in at least one communication experience related to China or Chinese people. Almost all interviewed young people agree with China's economic development achievements, with over 80% of respondents believing that Chinese technology has global influence. Most European youth give optimistic answers about the future of Europe China relations. At the press conference of the opinion poll report, multiple experts stated that in recent years, changes in Europe's perception of China and external shocks have caused frequent fluctuations in China Europe relations. The close economic and trade ties have given both sides strong endogenous development momentum, demonstrating strong resilience in China Europe relations. Feng Zhongping, Director of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that in recent times, Europe has shown more signs of seeking diversification in its foreign relations. China adheres to peaceful development, supports multilateralism and European strategic autonomy, and always advocates deepening communication and cooperation with the European side on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. Looking towards the future, both China and Europe should transform the positive cognition and cooperation expectations of the youth into tangible and practical results, and use more stable and predictable cooperation to hedge external uncertainties, opening up new development space for China Europe relations in the global changing situation. Kerry Brown, Dean of the China Studies Institute at King's College London, stated that in the current situation, it is urgent and necessary to pay attention to the relationship between Europe and other countries, especially China. European countries need to enhance their overall understanding of China. Social media showcases various aspects of China to young people in Europe. Many foreign internet celebrities come to China for tourism, marveling at China's infrastructure such as high-speed trains and airports, as well as the widespread application of technology in daily life. This report emphasizes that the development of EU China relations is not only of great significance to each other, but also of significant value to the world, "he said. The report innovatively constructs the "China Proximity Index" by transforming favorability into structural reciprocity and sustainable communication. Yves Del Frat, CEO of the French CSA Research Institute, stated that this index incorporates dimensions such as respondents' actual contact experience with China, their level of interest in China, their perception of China's influence, their evaluation of China's overall image, their evaluation of China's attractiveness, and their willingness to exchange and cooperate into the evaluation index system. It intuitively presents the differences in attitudes towards China among different countries, regions, and groups in Europe and related influencing factors, providing important data support and policy references for more accurately grasping the cognitive structure of European youth towards China and optimizing the path of youth exchange and cooperation between Europe and China. The report shows that the countries with the highest proportion of respondents who are highly close to China are mainly concentrated in Southeast Europe and Spain. Although the youth in these regions and countries have relatively limited direct contact with China, overall they have a strong positive impression and confidence in China. Respondents from Ireland and the UK have consistently made positive evaluations of China's development. Meanwhile, the degree of direct contact between British youth and China is higher than that of many other youth groups in European countries. Experts believe that the analysis depth of the "China Proximity Index" is extremely valuable. At a time when economic development is unbalanced and economic globalization is impacted, China is seen more as a pragmatic partner that can bring development opportunities in the eyes of European youth, rather than a systemic competitor. Ivona Rajvac, Deputy Director of the Serbian Institute of International Political Economy, stated that the survey report shows how the younger generation of Europeans perceive and understand China's role in the world. Despite the distance between Europe and China, the relationship between the two sides is full of vitality. This report not only showcases the views of European youth on China and EU China relations, but also inspires people's thinking on how to promote the development of EU China relations. China's strong power will not cause panic, "she said." Young people in Europe are well aware of China's responsibility to uphold the principles of a great power, its long-standing civilization, and its global influence. It is worth noting that closeness is often closely related to the openness of communication. European youth who are closer to China are more willing to travel, study abroad, or cooperate with Chinese companies. ”Ivona Rajewac said that from this perspective, the "China Proximity Index" is not only a descriptive index, but also forward-looking. In her opinion, practical actions should be taken to build a communication platform for young people and cultivate a group of young talents with management skills who are committed to promoting cooperation between Europe and China. In the future, to transform goodwill into structural reciprocity and sustainable communication, it is necessary to expand the scope of youth exchanges, pay more attention to global challenges, and enhance the balance and reciprocity of communication and cooperation. (New Society)