- 2018-20 Executive Plan issued after a two-day meeting in China’s Hainan province
BEIJING: Cultural ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states during a meeting held in Sanya in Hainan province agreed that cultural cooperation between the member states made remarkable progress in the past year, and reports presented at the meeting about diversified exchanges and cooperation clearly showed that bilateral and multilateral cooperation is growing deeper and wider.
The two-day meeting concluded with the issuance of the 2018-20 Executive Plan. The representatives also joined in welcoming Pakistan and India into the SCO and encouraging more direct contacts and practical exchanges of cultural organisations within the member states, as well as joint creation of cultural products and works.
China’s Minister for Culture and Tourism Luo Shugang expressed the goodwill of the Chinese government and people in seeking to build a shared community with other countries. He proposed further building up the “Shanghai spirit” through deepening cultural exchanges and the cooperation of the member states. He suggested developing models to create cultural brands and suggested that local forces should be encouraged to join in cultural exchanges and cooperation.
He said that China would continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation to enhance understanding and friendship with the SCO member states, based on principles of mutual respect and mutual benefits, to provide ethical and cultural support for the healthy and sustainable development of the organisation.
Russia’s First Vice-Minister for Culture Vladimir Aristarhov said that more multilateral cooperation among smaller cities in the SCO member states should be developed, and more diversified cooperation programmes including education, cultural contests, art festivals and exchanges of students should be cultivated to produce cultural cohesion.
Hainan Governor Shen Xiaoming said that the SCO member states were important tourist resources for the province, which is developing an international tourism and consumption centre under the new development strategy laid down by the central government. He said that Hainan attaches great importance to the SCO tourism market and would build more platforms to promote cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation.
