The Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication and the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism signed an executive program for cooperation in the cultural field for the period 2024-2028 on Thursday in Rabat. The agreement, signed by Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid and Chinese Vice-Minister of Culture and Tourism Rao Quan, aims to promote cultural exchanges, encourage bilateral visits, and create initiatives and cooperation frameworks to promote cultural ties between the two countries. Additionally, it seeks to strengthen coordination and cooperation at the UNESCO level, facilitate exchange of experiences, and provide continuous training. In a statement to the press, Bensaid highlighted the long and shared history between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of China. He emphasized that this new program aims to leverage culture to enhance «political and economic efforts» and further solidify the partnership between the two nations. Bensaid stressed the importance of publicizing Moroccan and Chinese cultures through exchanges of cultural activities, television, and cinema. He believes culture is a «soft power» that can bring the Moroccan and Chinese peoples closer together. He called for strengthening the Moroccan presence in China by encouraging artistic and cinematic works, as well as joint cultural initiatives. Rao Quan echoed Bensaid's sentiment, expressing his ministry's determination to promote cultural exchanges and cooperation between Morocco and China. He praised the dynamism of existing cooperation in areas related to youth, arts, artistic exchange, cultural heritage, and training.
