The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, today (June 27) attended the 21st Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Cooperation Meeting and met with the Director General of Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province, Mr Li Bin, and the Director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Ms Leong Wai-man.
Mr Yeung said, "The National 14th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong to develop into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. The cities in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have close geographical ties. We share a common dialect and enjoy frequent co-operation and exchanges in arts and culture over the years. By joining the Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Cooperation Meeting for the first time since the establishment of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, I believe we can further strengthen trilateral ties and join hands in telling the good stories of China."
Mr Yeung started his itinerary upon his arrival in Zhongshan yesterday (June 26). He visited the Zhongshan Culture & Art Center to understand the venue's offerings for performances in different art forms and their operations. He also called on the Director of the Zhongshan Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, Ms Xiao Yichong, to exchange views on collaboration in the areas of culture and tourism.
In his closing remarks at the 21st Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Cooperation Meeting, Mr Yeung said, "Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have made remarkable progress in the collaboration in various areas, with a view to jointly developing a cultured bay area. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government attaches great importance to the cultural exchanges and interaction among Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macao, including the other cities within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). We have provided funding support to arts groups and artists in Hong Kong taking part in performances and productions in the GBA. The HKSAR Government will host the 'Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival' in 2024. The close collaboration among the cultural institutes in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao will promote the inheritance and development of the fine traditions of Chinese culture, and enhance the cultural soft power of the three places, together promoting Chinese culture and telling the good stories of China."
The first Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Cooperation Meeting was held in 2002 with Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. An agreement on cultural co-operation was signed in August 2003 to establish a cultural co-operation framework within the region. In the Meeting this year, working groups had discussions on five specific topics, namely exchanges for performing artists and co-organisation of cultural programmes, co-operation in public libraries and cultural information, co-operation in museum services, exchange and co-operation on intangible cultural heritage, and co-operation in cultural industries.
Mr Yeung will return to Hong Kong this afternoon.
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