China, ASEAN cast eyes on high-quality cultural industrial development

The 16th China-ASEAN Cultural Forum takes place in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on July 23. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 16th China-ASEAN Cultural Forum, hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the People's Government of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, took place in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on July 23.

Around 300 guests attended the event both online and on-site, including officials from cultural and tourism departments from China and ASEAN countries, envoys of ASEAN countries in China, as well as experts and scholars from the cultural industry.

Themed on high-quality development and international cooperation in the cultural industry, the forum was aimed at communicating and promoting mutual prosperity of the cultural industry in both China and ASEAN. 

Fan Xiaoli, head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Guangxi Committee, introduced that the region has been attaching much attention to the development of the cultural industry and has released a host of preferential policies.

Fan noted that the forum, which has been held 16 times, has become an important platform for cultural communication between China and ASEAN countries, and Guangxi is willing to make full use of the forum to seek more cooperation with overseas partners. 

Xie Jinying, director of the Bureau for International Exchange and Cooperation of Ministry of Culture and Tourism, noted that China is willing to conduct all-around cooperation with ASEAN countries in areas spanning cultural creativity, animation games, performance and exhibitions, cultural equipment manufacturing and production, the digital cultural industry, and the integrated development of culture and tourism. 

Chen Dehai, secretary-general of the ASEAN-China Center, said that the center will keep taking an active role in pushing forward the innovative development of cultural industries in both China and ASEAN countries by hosting events, such as the ASEAN-China Film Festival and the ASEAN-China Exhibition on Children's Book. 

Minister of Culture of the Kingdom of Thailand, Itthiphol Kunplome, delivers a video speech. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Minister of Culture of the Kingdom of Thailand, Itthiphol Kunplome, said during a video speech that the cooperation between Thailand and China in the cultural industry, such as films and wireless radio has contributed a lot to the friendship between the two countries. 

Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dato'Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri, noted that Malaysia and other ASEAN countries will continue to support the high-quality development of China's digital culture.