Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland Thursday signed the Agreement on Enhancing Exchange and Co-operation in the Area of Cultural Heritage, enabling deeper and more extensive exchange between the two sides on the conservation and promotion of cultural heritage.

Representing the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing signed the agreement with Director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) Shan Jixiang.

"According to the agreement signed today, we will take more active steps to bring in large-scale exhibitions from the Mainland. At the same time, we also hope that more Hong Kong exhibitions will be staged on the Mainland to strengthen mutual exchange," Tsang said.

In addition to exhibitions, Tsang also looked forward to enhanced liaison and exchange between the professional personnel of the two sides in the area of training of professionals.

Tsang said that one of the major features of the agreement is the setting up of a joint working group to give direction and co-ordinate exchange and co-operation in the area of cultural heritage.

He said he firmly believed that, under the framework of the agreement, Hong Kong would be able to collaborate more closely with the SACH with a view to developing deeper and more extensive exchange and co-operation between the two sides on the conservation and promotion of cultural heritage, such that Hong Kong people would have more opportunities to appreciate the richness and profundity of Chinese culture.