Reviewing the 50-Year Journey of China-EU Relations, Joining Hands to Embrace a Shared Future

This article is part of our special report 50 Years of EU-China Relations: the future of the strategic partnership.

Do you aspire to showcase your creative talents?

Do you wish to share with us the heartwarming, beautiful, or interesting stories between China and Europe?

Do you hope for your work to become a part of the celebration marking the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic ties? 

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, the Mission of China to the European Union is launching a photography, cartoon, and short video creative contest under the theme of “Reviewing the 50-Year Journey of China-EU Relations,Joining Hands to Embrace a Shared Future.” Over the past 50 years, what unforgettable stories, beautiful memories, and precious moments related to China do you or your family and friends have? What are your understandings and insights into the growth of China-EU relations, and what are your expectations and blessings for China-EU relations in the future? We sincerely invite you to capture the stories, ideas, and blessings of you and your family through lens or paintbrushes, to demonstrate the passion and creativity of youngsters, so as to play the symphony of China-EU friendship. Participants will have the chance to win good prizes, certificates stamped by the Mission of China to the European Union, and even an unforgettable trip to China! 

1. Contest Overview  

2. Participants

3. Work(s) Requirements

1. Photography: The photography work(s) should have clear image and distinct theme, without any corner marks, TV station logos, watermarks, or other logos; no computer synthesis processing and generative AI tools is allowed. Participants can use relevant software to adjust the size and color of the work(s). Participants can submit one single picture or group pictures under the same theme(4-8 pieces for group works). The format should be JPG, with resolution no less than 300dpi (pixels per inch), file size no less than 3MB. 

1. Cartoon: No restrictions on the drawing and painting techniques, materials, or forms. Both single picture and group pictures are acceptable. Each participant can present at most 3 pictures. In case of hand-drawn works, participants should upload clear photos or colored scans of the works, with each picture being no less than 5MB in size. Digital paintings can be drawn by using common drawing tools (such as Pad, computer, drawing tablet, drawing screen, etc.), and no generative AI tools is allowed. All the works should be submitted in JPG form. 

1. Short Video: No restrictions on the style of the work; Forms shall include but are not limited to vlogs, micro-movies, micro-documentaries, MVs, etc. All shooting equipment can be used such as cameras, mobile phones, and others. Participants can present one single video or a group of videos. The duration of each video should be within 5 minutes. The video resolution should be no less than 1280*720, and the format should be MOV/MP4. If there is a voiceover, please add subtitles. 

1. The works must be original, not submitted to other contests or activities, not commercially used, and free of watermarks such as trademarks, website names, link addresses,etc. No advertisements should be embedded. 

4. How to Participate

5. Award Setting

All participants will be awarded a certificate of merit stamped by the Chinese Mission to the EU. Winners of the first, second, and third prizes will be given priority invitation to participate in the celebration events marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-EU diplomatic relations organized by the Chinese Mission to the EU, to introduce how the work is created and share the experience of participating the contest. They will also be given priority invitation to visiting China organized by the Chinese Mission to the EU in the future. 

6. Timeline

(2) Works Evaluation and Judging: Early March. The shortlisted works will be displayed on the official Instagram account of the Chinese Mission to the EU for likes collection, and the number of likes will serve as an important reference for final awarding. In early and mid-March, the  contest host and professionals from related fields will conduct final evaluation of the shortlisted works for final awarding. 

(3) Announcement of Winners: The results will be announced in mid-March. The winning works will be exhibited on the official website , the official Instagram account, the “X” account, the Bluesky account, and accounts of other new media platforms of the Chinese Mission to the EU, as well as Chinese and European mainstream media. 

7. Detailed Terms

(1) The Participant must guarantee that he/she is the sole author of the submitted work(s) and has independent, complete, clear, and undisputed copyright and the right to submit the works for the contest. In cases of co-creation, the entire authorization from other right holder(s) should also be submitted. Participants should also make sure that the presented work(s) are created in a legal and compliant manner and do not infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of any third party, including copyright, portrait right, the right to reputation, the right to privacy, etc. 

(2) The host and related parties of this event have the right to cite, publicize, display, and publish the presented works in relevant events, as well as other forms of presentation, publicity and release, in non-commercial and non-profitable ways.  

1. The right to final interpretation of the contest belongs to the Chinese Mission to the European Union. 

Please scan the QR codes of the official accounts of the Chinese Mission to the EU to follow the latest development and progress of the contest. The codes are in the pdf under "Further Reading".

Appendix 

Terms and Conditions 

Any participant who submits a work by sending it to the designated email address is deemed to be fully aware of, completely comprehend, and unconditionally agree to comply with the following terms: 

1. From the moment a participant sends a work to the designated email address, it automatically signifies that the participant has successfully participated in the contest, and the host will not reply the email to confirm his/her participation. 

1. Unless under special circumstances, participants should not send the same work more than once. During the submission period, if a participant submits the same work more than once without explicit explanation, the host will take the last submitted work within the submission period as the final valid work. 

1. When submitting a work, in addition to providing a description of the work according to Item 4 of the Notice (How to participate), participants may voluntarily provide contact information such as mobile phone numbers, social media accounts, and addresses for follow-up communication. 

1. The participant must make sure that he/she is the sole author of the submitted work(s), which should be original, and he/she holds independent, complete, clear, and undisputed copyright and the right to submit the work for the contest. In cases of co-creation, authorization from all other rights holder(s) should also be submitted. Works must retain their original information, and works that cannot provide original information will be considered invalid. 

1. Participants must make sure that the submitted works are created in a legal and compliant manner, in accordance with the regulations of the participant’s country and the European Union, and do not infringe upon the legitimate rights of any third party. If infringement of rights of a third party occurs such as infringement of copyright,portrait right, the right to reputation, the right to privacy, etc., the participant shall bear the corresponding legal responsibilities. If the host or any related party bears or suffers losses on behalf of the participant according to relevant regulations, the host or the related party has the right to seek compensation from the participant. 

6. Participants must make sure that the submitted works do not seriously mislead public perception and do not contain any content that uglifies, damages, or defames the relationship between China and EU, or violates the law, morality, public order, or good customs. Violation of the aforementioned requirements will result in the cancellation of the participant's eligibility in the contest.

7. Participants agree that the host, the undertaker (if any), the assistant (if any), and/or any other party recognized by the host as related to the contest have the right to use the submitted works in non-commercial and non-profitable ways in activities related to the contest. Such use may include, but not limited to, citing, presenting, displaying, publishing, and other forms of presentation, publicity, and release on the websites, social media platforms, news release platforms, or other similar media of the host and/or the aforementioned related parties, as well as in activities planned, organized, or participated in by the host to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU. Such use should not be claimed any additional remuneration or compensation.

8. Relevant activities related to this contest are subject to the laws and regulations of the People’s Republic of China. In case of any dispute arising from the contest, participants should first have reasonable communication and equal-footed consultation with relevant parties. If consultation can not resolve the dispute, it shall be resolved through judicial institutions of the Kingdom of Belgium.

9. The host, undertaker (if any), assistant (if any), and/or any other party recognized by the host as related to the contest do not charge any fees from the participants.

10. Participants may consult the host regarding any matter related to this contest through the official email.

11. The right to final interpretation of relevant events related to this contest belongs to the Chinese Mission to the European Union.