During an official event hosted by the British Council in Cardiff, the recently appointed Minister for Culture and Sport joined guests from the cultural heritage sector to discuss how to develop a deeper understanding and wider co-operation between museums in Guizhou and Wales, and build a framework to form long-term sustainable links.

Following the meeting the Minister said,

“I am very pleased to be taking up responsibility for Wales’s rich culture, which include our many wonderful museums and castles, to our arts and sports.  We, as a nation, put a high value on safeguarding that culture and sharing it with others. It was therefore pleasing to meet with our guests and explore some of the avenues available to us.

 “Wales and China have developed a very strong relationship in recent years and culture is a key area for collaboration. It can play a major role in developing mutual understanding between our peoples on which to build economic links. I very much hope that we can continue to build on these strong foundations of friendship in the future.”

China is the second largest economy in the world and offers huge potential in the trade and education areas in particular, while there is a thirst for more cultural links. The Welsh Government have focused its efforts on developing relationships at the Municipal / Provincial Government level through which it aims to develop business and other opportunities.

The previous Heritage Minister, Huw Lewis, who has now taken over responsibility for Communities and Tackling Poverty, recently returned from a six-day visit to China. The purpose of that visit was to reinforce and progress the Government-to-Government relationships established with the Municipal Governments of Beijing and Chongqing, and to promote Welsh interests in the fields of business, education and culture.
While he was in Chongqing, Mr Lewis met a delegation from the Culture Bureau of neighbouring Guizhou Province which was keen to develop wider links with Wales.

In April 2012, as part of the UK Now programme, a cultural heritage protection workshop was jointly organized by Guizhou Provincial Culture Department and British Council Chongqing in Gui Yang city, capital city of Gui Zhou province.  In order to further build collaboration between museums in Wales and Guizhou, British Council Chongqing staff extended an invitation to Guizhou Provincial Culture Department and Guizhou Provincial Museum to visit UK in March 2013.

http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/cultureandsport/2013/130321guizhou/?lang=en