The biggest-ever Chinese cultural festival, "Experience China in South Korea 2006", opened
in Seoul Thursday.
In a letter of congratulations read out at the opening ceremony,
Chinese President Hu Jintao
said: "The (event) provides an important opportunity for the South
Koreans to get close to China; to experience and understand China.
It will play a positive role in boosting the traditional friendship
between the two peoples and promote friendly cooperation between
the two nations."
South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun also expressed his
congratulations in a letter, in which he said South Korea will
further expand friendly cooperation with China. He also expressed
his hope that the two nations could iron out differences, promote
trust on the grounds of mutual respect and join efforts to create
common peace and prosperity.
? Cai Wu, minister of the Chinese Information Office of the
State Council, said at the opening ceremony that he hopes the South
Korean people will feel the Chinese people's desire to seek
peaceful development and cooperation with other countries through
the event.
Kim Chang-ho, minister of South Korea's Government Information
Agency, and Chey Tae-won, president of the festival's sponsor, the
SK Group, both expected the event to be a good opportunity for
closer exchanges and deeper understanding between the two
neighbors.
Following the opening ceremony, an exhibition of about 500
photos chronicling the 14-year relations between China and South
Korea since 1992 was launched at the Olympic Park.
The cultural festival, jointly hosted by the Chinese Information
Office of the State Council and South Korea's Government
Information Agency, is the result of an agreement made by Hu and
Roh during the APEC summit in South Korea's southeastern port city
of Busan last November.
During the 10-day event, about 300 Chinese will stage a variety
of performances, including traditional Chinese music, Tibetan dance
and martial arts displays.
Representatives from the two countries will also hold media and
business forums during the event.
Hu Congratulates on Cultural Exchange in
Seoul?
(Xinhua News Agency September 22, 2006)
