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From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Federal Government and the People’s Republic of China, yesterday, inaugurated a sub-committee on culture and tourism aimed at strengthening cooperation between both countries.
This was even as the government and China signed a joint Culture and Tourism Statute Agreement aimed at deepening people-to-people exchanges.
Speaking during the virtual ceremony, China’s Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr Zhang Xu, said Nigeria and China have enjoyed cordial relations for 50 years, adding that culture and tourism had played critical roles in strengthening ties between both countries.
Zhang further said the objective of adopting the Act and establishing the sub-committee was to promote inter-cultural collaboration and connectivity between the Chinese and Nigerian people in furtherance of China-Africa relations.
Zhang also said the establishment of an inter-governmental committee with Nigeria is the first-ever between China and any other African country, stating that the development was a testimony to the importance China placed on Nigeria.
“As important contributors to the strategic partnership between our two countries, culture and tourism should play greater roles in increasing the people-to-people connectivity for the benefit of the two countries.
“That is the mission of the culture and tourism sub-committee that we are establishing today. Therefore, members of our ministries and sub-committees must make good use of the platform in alignment with the objectives of FOCAC, its eight ministerial meetings, Belt and Road Initiative, and FOCAC Action Plan 2022-2024.
“We must work together to offset the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact and the planned programmes that the sub-committee covers such as culture, tourism, publishing heritage, library, and museum.
“Our goal must always be to promote our inter-culturality, and cultural collaboration, full relationship and connectivity between China and Nigeria people in the new areas of China-Africa relations,” Zhang said.
Zhang however urged the sub-committee to ensure the promotion of activities and events that would further boost cultural ties between both countries.
Also speaking, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, said the establishment of the Act and sub-committee on culture and tourism signalled a good beginning of a greater future with new dynamics.
Cui stated that considering the leadership role of the youths with great innovations in the current generation, reinvigorating the culture and tourism sector will help boost both economies with mutual benefits.
“The establishment of the sub-Committee on Culture and Tourism is really a milestone. I do believe we are doing good things now because culture and tourism mean a lot to young people.
“We have already embarked on a new journey of mutually beneficial cooperation and we all believe that a thousand miles begin with a single step.
“The potentials of our cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism will surely be further released and a better tomorrow must belong to us,” Cui said.
Earlier in her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Culture, Dr Ifeoma Anyanwutaku, said the potentialities in the creative sector in Nigeria were untapped and that the new cooperation would help facilitate that.
Anyanwutaku said Nigeria will also leverage this to diversify its economy by adequately harnessing the potentials in the culture and tourism sector.
“While taking a cursory look at the Statutes of the sub-committee on Culture and Tourism, Nigeria, as well as China have reviewed our achievements and experiences in the cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation.
“Under the framework of the Forum on China and Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). This evaluation and experiences will help reposition the culture and tourism sector.
“For the development of both countries and the reinforcement of our bilateral cooperation,” Anyanwutaku said.
