The two-day China-ASEAN joint culture performance and symphony
orchestra of young musicians opened Saturday evening in front of
the world well-known Angkor Wat.
This joint event is to commemorate the 15th anniversary of
China-ASEAN dialogue relations and the opening of the "Year of
Friendship and Cooperation between China and ASEAN".
Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, Culture Minister Sisovat
Panara Sirivudh, Chinese Vice Minister Wu Dawei of Foreign Affairs,
Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Zhang Jinfeng, and other diplomats
from ASEAN member countries as well as about 1,500 people attended
the opening ceremony.
More than 150 artists and musicians from China and ASEAN member
countries offered art performance, such as Cambodia's Apsasa dance,
Beijing opera as well as other traditional dances, music and joint
China-ASEAN art performance.
"Cambodia is very pleased to host this significant commemorative
activity," said Hor Namhong. "I strongly believe that the
commemorative summit will further advance ASEAN-China partnership
to a higher level," he added.
The performance was the opening one. A series celebrating
activities will be followed, including youth camps, lecture series,
issue and distribute commemorative stamps, cultural tours, TV
documentaries, friendship sport activities and people-to-people
exchange program.
The aim of the event is to strengthen China-ASEAN friendship and
cooperation, promote public awareness and people-to-people
contacts, deepen understanding of the growing China-ASEAN relations
and to generate new impetus for the mutually beneficial China-ASEAN
dialogue relations.
"It is an important milestone in the history of the relations of
China and Southeast Asian countries for the establishment of
China-ASEAN dialogue relations," said Wu Dawei at the opening
ceremony. "The facts have proved that the dialogue relations not
only serve to the common interest of China and ASEAN, but also
conform to the trend of times and have great vitality," he
added.
Wu also conveyed Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's greeting and best wish to the
artists and the performance. Premier Wen just concluded his two-day
official visit to Cambodia on Friday afternoon.
Minister Hor Namhong said that "for the past 15 years, ASEAN and
China have made significant progress in many areas for their
cooperation, such as politics, security, economics, social and
functional cooperation."
He said "as the country coordinator for ASEAN-China Dialogue
Relations for almost the last three years, Cambodia is delighted to
see the growing ASEAN-China cooperation as well as the
strengthening of ASEAN-China strategic partnership."
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Built between the 9th and 13th centuries by Angkorian Kings,
ancient temples are a symbol of Cambodian national pride and the
country's biggest tourist attraction.
The Angkor complex, one of the ancient building wonders in the
East, located more than 300 km north of the capital Phnom Penh, is
under international protection as a World Heritage Site.
(Xinhua News Agency April 9, 2006)