The 13th Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum is held in Hong Kong on Dec 7, 2015. [Photo/cri.cn]

The 13th Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum was held in Hong Kong on Monday, and cultural department officials from across Asia shared their experiences in developing and promoting culture under this year's theme "Community wide-support: The Foundation for Vibrant and Sustainable Cultural Growth".

Luo Shugang, China's Minister of Culture, said at the forum that despite the improvement in overall environment more needs to be done to increase people's participation in cultural events and to make this idea flourish. "The government is trying to create a fair environment though more funding in the culture sector in Chinese mainland. Public and private cultural sectors are is now able to compete in fields such as performance art, entertainment, games, painting, etc."

Luo said forces driving cultural development in the Chinese mainland include State-owned enterprises, private companies, public institutions, NGOs, community organizations, and individuals. Through the years, they have converged to be a vital force in cultural preservation, development and promotion.

Liu Jianghua, Head of the Hong Kong Home Affairs Bureau, said that Hong Kong has also witnessed similar changes in the culture sector. "The impression of Hong Kong being a shrewd and practical city in every aspect, including culture and art, has been changing," Liu said.

According to Liu, private galleries and art spaces has been springing up in Hong Kong in recent years, and art expositions are also growing at a fast pace. "There are many art events going on here in Hong Kong, and so far, the city has the largest art auction market in the world," he said.

Liu said aside from government funded culture and art programs, communities in Hong Kong also see more local artists' individual performances and exhibition. The under-construction West Kowloon Culture District is expected to further strengthen the culture influence and importance of Hong Kong in the world.

At the forum, Shen Yin, Singapore's Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, spoke on how Singapore has developed into a multi-cultural country through "balance, responsibility and belief".

"We need to balance, preserve and promote culture of different roots and origins. On the one hand, we protect the commonalities; on the other hand, we build identities for cultures from different countries. Only with a common cultural identity, can we aspire to be our better selves," he said.

As reported, Luo and Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, currently the Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Government, has further ideas for culture exchanges between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong after the forum. A contract concerning cultural exchanges from 2016 to 2018 between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has been signed.

The contract has sketched the blueprint for the cultural talks, people exchanges, branding projects and cooperation for the next three years. It is an important step to institutionalizing cultural exchanges between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.