Vice-premier lauds culture's power to connect

Vice-Premier Liu Yandong addressed a China-US cultural forum at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on Tuesday, calling for more cooperation between Chinese and US cultural institutions and artists to promote bilateral ties.

"The forum invited more than 40 representatives from distinguished cultural institutions in both China and the US," said Luo Shugang, minister of culture, who hosted the event. "It's the largest cultural dialogue between the two nations."

"Maintaining a healthy and stable development of China-US relations will not only benefit the two peoples but also contribute to world peace and prosperity," said Liu. "So in this new period, China and the US should fully leverage the unique effect of people-to-people exchanges and push for greater improvement of China-US ties."

Liu said cultural exchanges are the highlight of people-to-people exchanges between China and the US.

"Nowadays, the term 'sharing economy' is becoming more and more popular, and the value of cultures is sharing them with different people and different countries," Liu said.

"China pays high attention to developing cultural industries, and the US is very advanced regarding creative and cultural industries," Liu said. "Thus, deepening the cultural exchanges between the two nations has a very sound foundation and great potential."

Liu hopes to see more cultural organizations, institutions and artists from the two countries actively participate in cultural exchanges through holding joint forums and other formats.

Liu also said that people-to-people exchanges, particularly between the youth of the two countries, are crucial for improving understanding and friendship between people in China and the US.

"I went to China last May, and stayed in Shanghai, Beijing and Qingdao for 10 days; China is a very special place," said Jane Chu, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, who attended the forum. "We were so impressed by the art, the music, the dance and the ways that arts help children learn.

"We are very eager to broaden and deepen our cultural relationships through the arts - that's what is so special about the arts," she continued, "because when we speak different languages, and we live in different places, the arts can be a bridge to connect people, and connect countries together, and we can learn from each other and celebrate our cultures together through the arts."

ruinanzhang@chinadailyusa.com