The “Belt and Road Sino-Ukrainian Cultural Exchange Week” sets sail in Beijing

   The Silk Road Cities Alliance held a launch ceremony for the delegation of the “Belt and Road Sino-Ukrainian Cultural Exchange Week” together with the Embassy of Ukraine in China on the evening of April 23, 2017. Oleg Dyomin, Ambassador of Ukraine to China, Zhang Wenkang, Head of the delegation, and other main members participated in the ceremony.

   At the ceremony, the Silk Road Cities Alliance, the host organizer of the event, introduced activities of the “Belt and Road Sino-Ukrainian Cultural Exchange Week” and the members of the delegation. The “Belt and Road Sino-Ukrainian Cultural Exchange Week” was held from April 24 to 30 in Kiev, Ukraine. It included a New Silk Road Arts Exhibition, a Traditional Chinese Medicine Day, a Chinese Culture Display and Exchange Day, a Silk Road Cities Day and other interesting theme activities. Furthermore, three forums were held during the exchange week: The Belt and Road TCM Cooperation Forum, the Sino-Ukrainian Economic and Trade Forum as well as the Belt and Road Sino-Ukrainian Youth Forum. This event fully disseminated the essence of Chinese culture, spread traditional Chinese medicine culture, displayed the charm of Chinese civilization, promoted bilateral cultural exchanges and economic cooperation, created opportunities for business joint work, and pushed the “Belt and Road” construction together with famous artists, cultural inheritors and outstanding entrepreneurs.

   Oleg Dyomin, Ambassador of Ukraine to China, presented the delegation with a flag and delivered a speech. He said that the event is an important part of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Ukraine. He said that every member of the delegation from various circles would become a messenger linking up Chinese and Ukrainian culture. They would showcase Chinese culture to the world and teach more about Ukraine in order to promote further communication between two countries in cultural and economic fields. He also believed that this event would be a complete success, and will go down in the history of Sino-Ukrainian cultural exchange. At the same time, Mr. Dyomin expressed his satisfaction with the organization of the Silk Road Cities Alliance and invited the delegation to gather again at the Ukrainian Embassy after returning and talk about their experience in Ukraine.

   Zhang Wenkang, head of the delegation, thanked Mr. Dyomin and the Ukrainian embassy for their great support of this event. He commended the co-sponsors of the event, the Silk Road Cities Alliance, China Central Academy of Fine Arts, the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture of Ukraine, the Diaspora of Chinese in Ukraine and the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on carefully planning and organizing such a wide-ranging Sino-Ukrainian Cultural Exchange Week. He expressed appreciation to China National Complete Engineering Corporation, Inner Mongolia (Hong Kong) Federation of Associations and other institutions for their support. Mr. Zhang also asked the members of the delegation to respect Ukraine culture and local regulations, and to pay attention to their behaviours in accordance with the identity of cultural ambassador.

   At the launching ceremony, Huluge, a singing group from the prairie had a wonderful improvisation, and the atmosphere became warm and lively. Mr. Oleg Dyomin and Mr. Zhang Wenkang raised a toast with the guests at the dinner and wished the cultural exchange week a great success.

   Nearly 100 members of the Chinese delegation participated in the cultural exchange week, including the delegation of China Central Academy of Fine Arts led by Prof. Fan Di’an; the delegation of World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies led by Secretary General Sang Binsheng; the delegation of the Central Conservatory of Music led by Liu Hongzhu; cultural ambassadors of the Silk Road Cities Alliance Li Jianshen, Li Mingquan, Chen Yufu, Su Dabao, etc.; TCM ambassadors Huang Tao and Gu Shaofeng; Huluge, a singing group led by President of Inner Mongolia (Hong Kong) Federation of Associations Hai Fengling and other representatives of the business community.