Cultural Exchange Week: New Age of Sino-Myanmar Ties for Greater Growth

To mark the ASEAN-China Week 2024 while hailing the forthcoming Diamond Jubilee of China-Myanmar Friendship 2025, to deepen mufti-faceted cooperation and to promote media cooperation between the two countries, the China-Myanmar Cultural Exchange Week back to back with the 4th twin City Forum was held Tuesday at Tyanchi Sonphein villa hotel in Kunming of Yunnan Province.

It was attended by 48 Myanmar delegates from respective Ministries and private media organizations as well as 200 Chinese delegates from respective departments of Yunnan Province.

The ceremony was commenced with cultural performance by Chinese dance troupe and Bagan dance by Myanmar cultural troupe of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture.

Next, Member of the Chinese Communist Party, Yunnan Provincial Party Committee, Standing Committee, Minister of Information Zhang Yang and Union Minister of Information U Maung Maung Ohn made speeches.

The Union Minister of Information said both China and Myanmar believe in “the past deed of merit done together resulting in the present or future encounter”. The two neighbors have close geographical location, people-to-people friendly relations and cultural links. That’s why China-Myanmar Paukphaw friendship has been existing for millennia. Being good neighbors, Myanmar has been cooperating with China on economic corridor projects and other multifaceted cooperation projects in education, health, tourism, culture, agriculture, environmental conservation, etc. Myanmar profoundly supported the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s proposals on the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.

In today’s global context, every country gives priority to showcase their national identity as the soft power of diplomacy culture. These days, it is undeniable that the soft power is more powerful and influential than hard power tools in international relations. We can witness that China’s rich cultural legacy of millennia-old civilization which has been preserving without losing original taste by using modern technology.

The Union Minister also expressed gratitude to China for the technical assistance in renovation of ThatByinnyu Temple, one of ancient cultural heritages of Bagan which was damaged due to the earthquake. He also thanked the recent renovation and upgrading to the world class National Theatre which was built as a token of token of China-Myanmar friendship during the State visit by Chinese President Li Xiannian in March 1985.

On the occasion, Yunnan Province Agriculture Expert HlyoKyantKaw and Managing Director of Asia Flower Mall Myanmar Company Daw Phway Phway Thant launched the Manual of Agricultural Project (First Phase). Next, the guests were entertained with video music and dance performance.

After that , Dr. Htike Lwin Ko of YICC presented the Paukphaw project entitled “Yunnan Lifestyle” to the audience.>>> Next, the Directors General Yunnan Daily Newspaper and MRTV signed Letter of Intent (LOI) to conduct joint training for 2024 Online New Media Refresher Course.

Similarly, the LOIs were signed between the Yunnan YICC and Printing and Publish Department of the Ministry of Information,  Joint production of “New Quality Production Capacity in China-Myanmar Agriculture Sector”. TV series with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation,  joint media cooperation between YICC and Shwe Zarmani Chinese Newspaper, China-Myanmar language translation and publication project with Okatha Publishing House, China-Myanmar tourism promotion. 

After that, Chinese Minister Zhang Yang and Union Minister U Maung Maung Ohn opened the ceremony.They later viewed the display of Myanmar lacquerwares by the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development, the photo exhibition of attractive tourist destinations in Myanmar so also the showroom of Yunnan products. They also supported the marionette performance by both Myanmar and Yunnan cultural troupes.

In the afternoon, the 4th China-Myanmar Twin City Forum continued where a documentary video clip on China-Myanmar Cooperation was presented. Responsible officials from both sides gave keynote speeches and it was followed by discussions on “Mutual Understanding between Myanmar and China”, “Building Effective China -Myanmar Media Cooperation in Media Age”, video clip presentation on Learning Myanmar Dance in Mekong-Lancang Region, Paukphaw Friendship Library, Dream of Shweli, Bright Future of Cane Ball Chinlone. For the research paper reading forum, “Maning of Home”, “Our Home, Green Society”, “Our Home, Hope, Farmland” were read so also the art of marionette was also exchanged and discussed.