Sino-Ukrainian cooperation opening a new chapter, adds luster to the Belt and Road construction. Grand opening of the "Belt and Road Sino-Ukrainian Cultural Exchange Week" in Kyiv

   Embracing a refreshing season of spring and celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Ukraine, the Silk Road Cities Alliance held a “Belt and Road Sino-Ukrainian Cultural Exchange Week” on April 24 at the Ukrainian House in Kiev, together with China Central Academy of Fine Arts, the Central Conservatory of Music, the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies, the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture of Ukraine, and the Diaspora of Chinese in Ukraine. The purpose of this forum was to promote Belt and Road people-to-people bonds and cultural exchange projects and echo the Belt and Road forum for international cooperation. More than 300 people attended the opening ceremony, including Ukrainian First Lady Maryna Poroshenko; Ukraine’s first President Leonid Kravchuk; former President Victor Yushchenko; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development Zubuke; Attorney General Lu Cenke; Youth Sports Minister Dennov; Minister of Education Leninvich; Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Ukraine Du Wei; former Minister of Health of China Zhang Wenkang; Chairman of China National Complete Engineering Corporation Sun Bai; Secretary General of World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies Sang Binsheng, the Chinese delegation led by Secretary General of SRCA Wu Bixiu and other experts and scholars.

   The "Belt and Road Sino-Ukrainian Cultural Exchange Week" music video led everyone to review the achievements of cooperation in various fields since China and Ukraine established diplomatic relations. It also demonstrated broad prospects for further cooperation based on the "Silk Road Economic Belt" platform.

   Du Wei, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Ukraine, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. He said that this cultural exchange week was not only the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Ukraine, but also the warm-up activity of the Belt and Road forum for international cooperation, and it would be a cultural feast and a handshake of civilization. He hoped that theme activities such as cultural intercourse, business cooperation, exchange among cities and the youth forum under the framework of this cultural week would be successful.

   Maryna Poroshenko, First Lady of Ukraine, indicated in her speech that “25 years of friendly relations have laid a solid foundation for the future development of bilateral connection. This cultural exchange week is a very good opportunity to not only enrich our partnerships, but also pave the way for new and greater cooperation. The Belt and Road initiative will become a link between the two countries, and Kiev and Beijing will be even more closely linked together.

   Zhang Wenkang, Head of the Chinese delegation, former Minister of Health of China and Honorary Chairman of the Silk Road Cities Alliance, said that both China and Ukraine are cultural giants. China has a culture of more than five thousand years, but also Ukrainian artists headed by Shevchenko, the famous thinker, writer and poet, make positive contributions to the world culture. The key to sound relations between states lies in the affinity between their people, which largely stems from mutual understanding. The culture of Traditional Chinese Medicine has gradually taken root in Ukraine, which provide an opportunity for two countries to promote harmony without uniformity between cultures, and to discover unique beauty from other cultural treasures, so as to enrich their native culture, and create a good cultural environment and a solid foundation for two countries commonly participating in the Belt and Road initiative.

   Sun Bai, Chairman of China National Complete Engineering Corporation, shared his experience of participating in the Belt and Road construction combining his company's development in Ukraine. He provided guidance for enterprises to take part in the Belt and Road economic and cultural cooperation.

   Then, the main guests went on stage and cut the ribbon of the “Belt and Road Sino-Ukrainian Cultural Exchange Week” for the opening ceremony.

   Accompanied by Ambassador Du Wei, First Lady Poroshenko visited the arts and crafts exhibition and showed keen interest. She also signed the special brick tea that was made for commemorating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Ukraine.

   During the entire “Belt and Road Sino-Ukrainian Cultural Exchange Week”, Ukrainians were able to visit the “Silk Road New Image” large-scale art exhibition which was planned by the famous curator and President of China Central Academy of Fine Arts Prof. Fan Di’an. At the same time, people could experience the culture of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and appreciate exquisite products such as silk, tea as well as Chinese ceramics. In the meantime, the sponsors also held a Silk Road Friendly Cities Interaction activity, a TCM Belt and Road Cooperation Forum, a Sino-Ukrainian Economic and Trade Forum, Belt and Road Sino-Ukrainian Youth Forum and other wonderful activities. The bilateral culture masters and artists conducted in-depth exchanges, and entrepreneurs from both countries actively explored new ways of pragmatic cooperation. All guests jointly discussed plans to strengthen ties between China and the Ukraine in cultural as well as economic fields.

   The teachers and students from the Central Conservatory of Music gave a performance called the “Silk Road Rhyme”. Young musicians from Inner Mongolia played folk music. A Ukrainian concert group called La Vivo contributed a singing performance and Ukrainian teens danced at the ceremony. Sand artist Su Dabao had an outstanding performance by creating masterpieces made of sand that reflected the beauty of the Silk Road. The audiences enjoyed the diverse shows and greeted them with a burst of applause.

   At the opening ceremony, the China Central Academy of Fine Arts and the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture of Ukraine signed a cooperation agreement.

 Written by Xu Yue (Silk Road Cities Alliance)