CAIRO – Culture Minister Nevine el Kilani said Egypt’s participation in the 2023 Beijing Culture Forum reflects the distinguished historical cultural relations between the two countries.
Kilani made the remarks at the inauguration of the second edition of Beijing Culture Forum, which is seen as an international platform for exchanging development experience and enhancing cultural exchange, according to a statement released by the Culture Ministry.
She added that Egyptian-Chinese relations have witnessed constant progress in different fields since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1956.
The culture minister stated that Egypt was the first country in Africa and the Middle East to open a department for teaching Chinese at Ain Shams University in 1958, adding that China opened the first regional culture center in Cairo in 2002.
Kilani noted Egypt hosts the regional premises of Xinhua News Agency and China Today Magazine, as well as several Chinese visual, audio and print media outlets.
She highlighted the Chinese culture minister’s visit to Egypt in April, where he attended a number of cultural events between the two countries, notably the Egyptian-Chinese concert in the Sound and Light Theater at Giza Pyramids and the opening of the art exhibition entitled the “Meeting of Artists on the Silk Road” in Cairo Opera House.
The minister also shed light on Egyptian-Chinese cooperation in erecting joint exhibitions, organizing cultural weeks, inaugurating cultural offices in Cairo and Beijing and protecting antiquities and heritage, as well as participating in international cultural events hosted by the two countries.
She lauded the efforts exerted by China to revive the “Silk Road” initiative, which aims to enhance human communication and dialogue between different cultures.
