Share Culture, Share Friendship
November 2019, Beijing
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure to hear the opening of St.Petersburg International Cultural Forum, a key annual event of Russia. On behalf of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations on the opening of the Forum.
The peoples of China and Russia enjoy a time-honored friendship.Under the strategic leadership of the two heads of state, the China-Russia relations is seeing constant progress. In June 2019, during his state visit to Russia, Chinese President Xi Jinping joined his Russian counterpart President Putin to elevate our relations to "China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era”, marking the China-Russia relationship at its best in history after seven decades of development since the establishment of our diplomatic ties, and confirming our commitment to bring our relations to a new era of greater development at a higher level,
Cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Russia have yielded fruitful results in recent years. With great popularity and acclamation, cultural festivals we hosted in each other's countries have become flagship events that were most visible, most extensively participated, and most sustainable with widest coverage of cities and communities. Both sides have actively participated in key cultural events held in each other’s countries, and organized quality tours of performing arts groups and exhibitions in each other’s countries to showcase the best of their arts and conduct rewarding programs of exchange and mutual leaning. Building on such success, the Chinese side is more than happy to attend the 8th St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum as the guest of honor by the invitation of Honorable Vladimir Medinsky, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation.
At the sidelines of the Forum, China will organize several eye-catching cultural activities. The Shanghai Chinese Orchestra will join Russia’s Andreyev State Model Russian Orchestra to co-present a concert, the repertoire of which will include renowned Chinese composer Zhao Jiping's "Ode to Peace" and Tan Dun's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". We hope that this joint performance, presented by two top orchestras of China and Russia, will offer the St. Petersburg audience a refreshing experience of music. The National Theatre of China will present "The Prince of Lanling", a drama that won high acclamation in Moscow during the 2019 Chekhov International Theatre Festival. The Beijing Dance Academy will participate in the opening show of the Boris Elfman Children's Dance Theatre and give two ballet performances of Pyotr Gusev’s version of “Swan Lake”. Apart from these events, China will also send experts and professionals from music, fine arts, film, theatre, museum and circus fields to attend sub-forums, with the hope to strengthen exchanges with their counterparts and partners from Russian and other countries.
As China is the guest of honor at this year’s Forum, I am confident the Forum will help promote Russia people’s knowledge of and interest in China, and deepen our mutual understanding and traditional friendship. I am full of expectations.
I wish the 8th St.Petersburg International Cultural Forum a complete success.
Luo Shugang
Minister of Culture and Tourism
People’s Republic of China
