The China-Arab Culture Ministers Forum, hosted by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Arab League Secretariat and undertaken by the National Museum of China and China Arts and Entertainment Group, opened in Beijing on Sept 10. This forum is a major part of the 3rd Arabic Arts Festival and one of the Silk Road Cultural Forum series activities under the framework of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum.

The Forum discussed and passed the Beijing Declaration of China-Arab Culture Ministers Forum, and witnessed the signing of a new annual execution plan of cultural cooperation agreement between China and five countries including Jordan. Cai Wu, minister of the Chinese Ministry of Culture attended the forum and made a keynote speech. Lyu Zhangshen, director of the National Museum of China, Fatima, president of the Arab side of the forum and minister of the Mauritanian Culture and Traditional Industry Ministry, and other 17 culture ministers or representatives of the Arab States, also delivered speeches. Zhang Aiping, director of the Bureau for External Cultural Relations, Ministry of Culture, presided over the forum. The highlights of their speeches are as follows.

Cai Wu,Minister of the Chinese Ministry of Culture  

Cai Wu (Minister of the Chinese Ministry of Culture): President Xi Jinping raised the great proposal of working together to build the "Silk Road Economic Belt" and the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road" last year, which was highly valued and fully supported by many countries in the world, including the Arab States. Cultural exchanges and cooperation will play an irreplaceable bridging and leading role in the China-Arab construction of “One Belt and One Road". Xi also declared the year of 2014 and 2015 as the China-Arab Friendship Year at the opening ceremony of the 6th ministerial conference of China-Arab Cooperation Forum on June 5. A series of friendly exchange activities will be held under the framework of the friendship year. We will organize 100,000 Chinese and Arab artists on exchange visits, encourage 200 Chinese and Arab cultural organizations to conduct counterpart cooperation, and invite 500 Arab cultural and artistic talents to come to Beijing for visiting programs. There is great potential and prospects for China-Arab cultural exchanges.