Dong Wei, vice minister of the Chinese Culture Ministry, delivered a speech at the launching ceremony [Photo/world.people.com.cn]

Chinese actors from Shantou perform folk music at the launch ceremony.[Photo/world.people.com.cn]

The launching ceremony of the China Cultural Center in Sydney and Silk Road, A Road of Innovation exhibition was held at the cultural center on Nov 22. Dong Wei, vice minister of the Chinese Culture Ministry, and Clover Moore, mayor of Sydney, attended the ceremony.

Chinese President Xi Jinping noted during his state visit to Australia that China will accelerate the construction of Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. And the Silk Road, A Road of Innovation exhibition, hosted by the Culture Ministry and undertaken by China Cultural Industry Association, China Cultural Center in Sydney, National Research Center of Cultural Industries in Tsinghua University and LeTV Group, is a major step taken in response to Xi’s instructions. The exhibition emphasizes the importance of the Silk Road as a road of communication, a road of international economic cooperation, as well as a road of innovation.

The exhibition showed the latest pictures of President Xi' s visit to Australia, and multi-media materials of Sino-Australian cultural exchanges were also put on display. It also presented the fruitful results of the strategic plans to establish and develop the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The exhibition, well received by local people, is a great booster to strengthen Sino-Australian cultural exchanges and promote the Australian people’s understanding and appreciation for Chinese culture.

The China Cultural Center in Sydney, which was officially registered in 2012, is the first center set up by the Chinese government in Oceania. It has held various activities, such as exhibitions, performance, lectures, film forums and training courses, since its trial operation in May. These activities have been highly praised by the Australian public.