Arts Council, China Cultural Society sign MoU

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, and the China Cultural Society at a ceremony held at the Gulrang Hall, Arts Council, on Friday. 

The president of the Arts Council’s Karachi chapter, Muhammad Ahmed Shah, and the China Cultural Society’s vice president, Tang Ping, signed the MoU. 

Through this agreement, besides exchanging cultural delegations, the two countries will also collaborate in promoting art, culture, literature and language. The Chinese delegation announced an initial grant of Rs500,000 for Arts Council of Pakistan. 

While addressing the press conference, Ahmed Shah said the Arts Council was known as a symbol of art and culture not only in Pakistan but also around the world. “The MoU signed today will further the friendly ties between Pakistan and China and will promote people-to-people contact in the two countries. This MoU is a milestone which will go a long way in exchanging culture and values between the two countries. 

“The MoU has been signed to promote art, dance, theatre, film and TV. Through this MoU those programmes which people used to watch on TV screens will now be able to see live in the Arts Council. The talented youth and artists from the two countries will also visit each other’s country,” he said. 

He said that CPEC was already paving the way for the economic development of the two countries and this collaboration in art and culture would introduce the culture of the two countries to their public. He said measures would also be taken to teach the Chinese language in the Arts Council of Karachi and the Urdu langue in China. 

The leader of the Chinese delegation, Tang Ping, said the friendship between China and Pakistan had become very strong in the last 68 years and now cultural ties would also be strengthened through this collaboration. 

He said culture had a great role in bringing about change in the life of people and countries. He termed the MoU a gift from China to Pakistan on the occasion of the 68th anniversary of the Pak-China friendship. 

He termed cultural exchanges a good step, saying they would work fast to further this cooperation. He said the cultural and economic ties between the two countries would strengthen their friendship. 

Tang Ping said China was also planning to start a bus service in Karachi, which would benefit the people of the city. He said the MoU would help boosting fraternity between the two countries. 

He praised Pakistani culture and dresses, which were liked by Chinese people. He said they wanted to promote arts films, dramas and the culture of Pakistan in China, while in a similar way the Chinese culture would be promoted in Pakistan with the collaboration of the Arts Council.  He hoped that the languages of the two countries would also be promoted through this cooperation.  Arts Council Secretary Aijaz Farooqi, and office-bearers and members of the governing body of the council and were present on this occasion.