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Thursday, Jun 21, 2007
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New cultural pact with China

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Continuing with the 1998 cultural agreement between the two countries, India signed a fresh Cultural Exchange Programme agreement with China on Wednesday for another two years. The agreement was signed by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni and her Chinese counterpart Sun Jiazheng.

The exchange programme provides for cross movement of government/official delegations, writers, archivists, anthropologists and media personnel at least once a year through the government channels. Both countries will exchange one government/official delegation of five members for at least a week. Besides, a delegation of 10 writers will be exchanged for 10 days and at least three archivists for a week.

Academic collaboration

As per the agreement, both countries will facilitate the hosting of performances, exhibitions and cultural festivals and encourage the China Dunhuang Research Institutions and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts to have a long-term academic collaboration.

Also, the Chinese Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi and Lalit Kala Akademi will be encouraged to exchange musicians, dancers, artists and critics for attachment up to three months at appropriate institutions for lectures and workshops.

In the realm of anthropology, both sides will exchange a delegation of anthropologists to study the status of bio-cultural research in either country. Also, radio and television organisations will be encouraged to exchange programmers reflecting the cultural life in both countries. Besides, both countries will exchange an eight-member media delegation for two weeks.

In the past, under the agreement India and China agreed to strengthen cooperation in spiritual and civilisational heritage and discuss collaboration in the digitisation of Buddhist manuscripts available in China. Also, there is a standing agreement to collaborate on the re-development of Nalanda as a major centre of learning.

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