Chinese ambassador pays courtesy call on state minister for culture

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Sunday paid a courtesy call to State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid at his office in Bangladesh Secretariat.

During the meeting, both parties emphasised strengthening cultural exchange between the two friendly nations along with an array of topics including cultural heritage conservation, technology transfer, renovation and conservation of Nateshwar and Panam City, cooperation in the construction of Bangabandhu Opera House, and investment in cultural infrastructure.

Noting that culture is one of the foundations of bilateral relations between Bangladesh and China, Ambassador Yao Wen called for bolstering cultural exchange activities which came to a halt in the last couple of years due to the global pandemic.

The ambassador invited State Minister KM Khalid to participate in the upcoming 'Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia (ACHA)' conference set to be held on 24-26 April in Shanghai, China, where 30 countries from the Asian continent are expected to participate.

KM Khalid assured the Chinese ambassador about his participation in the ACHA Conference subject to the approval of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Earlier in August 2022, a cultural exchange program agreement for the period of 2023-2027 was signed between the two countries during the visit of the Chinese foreign minister to Bangladesh.

The state minister, at the time, sought China's cooperation in the construction of Nateshwar Archeological Park in Munshiganj, as well as, the renovation and preservation of Panam City located in Sonargaon.

Moreover, he requested China's financial and technical support for the construction of the 'Bangabandhu Opera House', a project of the cultural affairs ministry, similar to the model of the Sydney Opera House.

"China can cooperate with restoration and technological support for a total of 509 archaeological sites in Bangladesh. Besides, Chinese archaeologists and palaeontologists can help create skilled and experienced manpower for the archaeological sector of Bangladesh," KM Khalid said.

Ambassador Yao Wen also requested to take quick steps in signing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the Bangla Academy and the Chinese National Administration of Press and Publication.

Mentioning a slight difference of opinion in this regard, the state minister hoped that the issue will be resolved soon.

Deputy Secretaries of the Ministry of Culture Kazi Nurul Islam and Ayesha Siddika, and Chinese Embassy Education and Culture Councilor Liwen Yue were present at the meeting among others.