The Peabody Essex Museum was packed with visitors for The Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City exhibition over 2010-11. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

Though the latest memorandum of understanding focuses mainly on research, especially conservation, Stuart says it will also include heavyweight exhibitions.

"By pulling together our resources, talent and collections, we can create something that is beautiful," she says.

"We are not yet ready to announce details, but we can say that the exhibitions will cover the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the wives in the Qing court, in a way that has never been done before."

The new partnership will combine the efforts of three institutions in research and selection of objects among other things.

The publication of in-depth catalogs will also help produce new scholars in the specific fields.

Jay Finney, the deputy director of the Peabody Essex Museum, who is in charge of marketing and public relations, says: "One reason why we do exhibitions is to further develop scholarship in a particular area.

"The substance really is the scholarly writing and publication through the manifestation of art works."

Meanwhile, according to data from China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage, there were 4,692 registered museums in the country at the end 2015, a significant increase from 3,415 at the end of 2010.

But, despite the efforts to boost links between the two countries, Chinese public museums in 2013 held only six art and history exhibitions in the US, while only two exhibitions from US public museums came to China that year.

This is one of the reasons why the museums are seeking to deepen ties.