China and nations of the League of Arab States on Saturday
jointly launched a three-week Arabic arts festival in China to mark
the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and boost their
cooperative ties.
The festival, running until July 15, comprises performances by
Arabic arts troupes, art exhibitions and an Arabic food show. One
of its goals is to let ordinary Chinese people become familiar with
the Arab culture.
The festival follows the convening of a high-level China-Arab
forum last month in Beijing, which stressed new partnership between
China and Arab countries and announced the hosting of the first oil
meeting by China and Arab states.
The Chinese government pays great attention to the festival. Li Changchun, a member of the Standing
Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China
Central Committee, attended the opening on Saturday evening at the
Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Prior to the opening ceremony, Li met with representatives from
the League of Arab States and cultural ministers of 17 Arab
countries.
Li highlighted cultural exchanges, saying they were important
channels to promote mutual understanding, trust and friendship
among different nations and help maintain world peace and boost
common development.
He said the Chinese and Arab peoples both had long and rich
histories, and cultural exchanges were on the rise, deepening their
friendship.
He hoped they would continue to enhance cultural exchanges and
cooperation so as to "raise the traditional China-Arab friendly
relations to a new level".
Nearly 300 artists from Arab countries and China performed
Arabic music, dancing, acrobatics and ballet at the opening
ceremony.
At a forum on Saturday, some Arab officials said that they hoped
to see more Chinese TV programs to be broadcast in Arab countries,
while they complained that there are too many American TV dramas
characterized with violent and criminal contents exported to their
countries.
These American programs have done harm to the next generations
of the Arab people, they said.
Besides Beijing, the art festival will also be staged in
Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province.
(Xinhua News Agency June 25, 2006)