BEIJING, Feb 6 (APP):Pakistan and China have signed Executive Programme of
Cultural Agreement for further consolidating cultural relations and
promoting people-to-people contacts between the two states.
Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary
Heritage, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Chinese Minister of Culture Luo
Shugang signed the agreement on behalf of their respective countries.
Ambassador of Pakistan to China and senior officials of both the
countries were also present on the occasion.
The main features of the agreement include cooperation in the realm of
Broadcasting and Films, Culture and Art, Education and Research, Press
and Publication, Sports and Youth and Miscellaneous.
The agreement stipulates that the two sides will
strengthen the mutual cooperation in technology field of radio
broadcasting, films and television between state radio, films and
television organizations of both the countries.
The two sides shall strengthen the news sharing mechanism between
Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation and China Radio International. It also endeavors to
exchange visit of a six-member government cultural delegation for
five days and to exchange visits of a 25-member performing arts troupe for seven days as
well as exchange of art exhibitions.
It will also encourage the artists from the two sides
to carry out academic exchange in the field of culture and arts.
Promotion of exchange between art galleries, theatres, archival
institute and cultural relic; restoration labs of each other’s country
is also a part of the agreement.
Based on mutually-agreed terms and conditions, Lok Virsa may organize
a week-long exhibition on Pakistani folk arts and crafts in China. The
exhibition aims at introducing the folk life and status quo of
cultural heritage of Pakistan to the Chinese through photos, audios
and videos.
Reciprocally, Lok Virsa will accept a similar exhibition
from China. In education and research both sides shall support the
exchange and cooperation between the China Scholarship Council and the
Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. The two sides shall
facilitate the Pakistani side to send and finance the young teaching
staff to pursue master’s degree/doctoral degree in China.
In press and publication, the two sides shall exchange a six-member delegation
relating to press and publication for a period of seven days, and
encourage the publishing institutions to participate in the
international Book Fair held in each other’s country.
In the field of Sports and Youth the two sides shall strengthen the exchange of sports
and continue to support the visits of a hundred-member youth delegation.
In her meeting with the Chinese Minister of Culture before the
signing ceremony, the Minister of State said that the relations
between the iron brothers and strategic partners were deeper than
oceans and higher than mountains and were based on mutual trust and
respect.
She expressed the confidence that China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor (CPEC) would take the bilateral relations between the two
countries to new heights.
Marriyum said that people of both countries
wanted to enhance the cultural collaboration and added that President
Xi Jinping’s vision of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was a historic
milestone not only for the countries along the belt and road, but also
the region and beyond.
The minister said that relationship between Pakistan
and China had been further strengthened by CPEC, a flagship project of
BRI.
She said that after signing the agreement, there was a greater
responsibility on both the countries to strive for time bound
implementation process.
She said that during the 19th Congress of the
China Communist Party (CPC), President Xi Jinping stressed upon
cultural exchanges as the fourth core component of the BRI. The
minister said that the economic cooperation, infrastructure
development, energy projects and the people-to-people exchanges would
enhance contacts, and share and promote the heritage of both countries.
She said that the relationship between Pakistan and China had been
embedded into our culture, adding that the Ministry of Information,
Broadcasting and National History and Literary Heritage was actively
pursuing the cultural contacts between the two states.
She informed her host that during the last year, CPEC Cultural Caravan was
organized from Xinjiang to Gwadar. Chinese group of visual artists and
performing arts also participated.
She observed that today’s agreement
would translate into extensive cultural contacts between the two
countries and also impart sustainability to the cultural ties.
The Minister of State proposed mutual photography exhibition at the
Pak-China National Culture Center in Islamabad and also the grant of cultural
scholarship to students in universities.
She also proposed to establish a FM Radio with an access
along the CPEC route in Pakistan. Marriyum Aurangzeb particularly
mentioned the Chinese Cultural Counselor in Pakistan who made this
agreement a reality.
Chinese Minister for Culture Luo Sugang welcomed the minister and her
delegation and said that China and Pakistan had special relations and
friendly bonds particularly after the visit of President Xi Jinping to
Pakistan in 2015.
In culture, both the countries shared progressive
relations and would enrich cultural relationship in future.
He said that CPEC as flagship project of BRI was not only a corridor for
economic and trade activity, but it also was a conduit to enhance
cultural exchanges between the two brotherly countries.
He invited the Minister of State to attend the Silk Road Cultural festival scheduled
to be held in China in September this year.
He also thanked the government of Pakistan for helping in establishing
China Cultural Center which was inaugurated in Islamabad last year,
adding that, till now 38 different types of events including
exhibitions and performing arts had been introduced in less than a
year.
The Chinese Culture Minister said that the two countries could
work together in archeology and heritage preservation and offered
Chinese assistance for establishment of archeology and heritage
center in Pakistan. “We can provide training to archaeological
professionals in this centre.”
Among other things, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Luo Shugang discussed
the future plan in regards to the establishment of Pak-China National
Cultural Centre, Cultural Film Academy and Pak-China Cultural Sister
College and University.
The proposal of holding International Cultural
CPEC Conference as well as exhibition of Pakistani movies in Chinese
Cinemas also came under discussion.
Minister of State and Minister of Culture, China both emphasized the need of formal agreement in
establishing archeological centre in Pakistan and joint production of
Pak-China cultural documentaries.
“CPEC being a route of peace and prosperity is also a cultural
corridor and would further encourage people-to-people contacts,” Marriyum
said. China and Pakistan will work closely to upgrade preserve and
rehabilitate archeological sites in Pakistan, she added.
Earlier, talking to media, Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Pak-China
friendship was a part of our culture and as a nation all the segments
of Pakistani society had consensus on it.
She opined that China was
now altering the world’s economic map and said the way it was
progressing; it would soon become number one economy of the world.
Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the infrastructure development and energy
projects focused on the people of two countries, adding, the
development and progress would change the lives of the people of the
two countries as well as the region.
The Minister of State said that the socio-economic condition of the
people was getting better due to job opportunities under CPEC and
the people-oriented projects would also have positive impact on the
coming generations.
Lauding the role of Pakistani media regarding
CPEC, she said it created awareness among the people about the project
adding, the print media contributed a number of editorials and
articles while the Expo at Gwadar was telecast live by news channels
of Pakistan.
She said that more than 5,000 businessmen and representatives of
different countries participated in the Gwadar investment Expo, which
was a big success for the country.
While commenting on Pak-China
friendship, she said it was an example for the world as relations
between both the countries were based on shared prosperity and mutual
trust.
She said that China’s Spring Festival was celebrated with great
enthusiasm in Pakistan as well. A number of cultural activities were also
arranged at the schools and cultural centers across the country.
