On 2 June 2022, the 17th ASEAN-China Cultural Forum, hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, and the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and co-organised by the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), was held in Beihai, Guangxi. Zhang Xu, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism of China delivered opening remarks via video link. Sun Daguang, Head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional Committee attended the forum and made opening speech. Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Wissnnu Krea-ngam, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture of Indonesia Muhadjir Effendy, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia Phoenurng Sackon, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri, ACC Secretary-General Chen Dehai delivered video speeches at the forum.

Zhang Xu stated in his remarks that China is ready to join hands with ASEAN Member States (AMS) to deepen communication and cooperation in sectors including museum management, exhibitions, digitalisation of cultural relics, protection of cultural heritage, and development of cultural and creative industries, so as to promote exchanges and dialogue among civilisations, and build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home together.

Sun Daguang noted that AMS and Guangxi share geographical proximity and cultural affinity. Guangxi is willing to cooperate with ASEAN in areas like cultural relic research, academic communications, exhibitions, digitalisation of cultural relics, as well as the application for World Cultural Heritage titles, in an effort to work towards a closer ASEAN-China community with a shared future.

Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Wissnnu Krea-ngam said in his video speech that Thailand welcomes and supports China in turning static cultural relics in museums into vivid displays and boosting the cultural creative industry’s development. More cooperation in reforms and innovations in big data, artificial intelligence, as well as remote sensing technology should be carried out for all-round cooperation between Thailand and China. 

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture of Indonesia Muhadjir Effendy said that China and AMS, especially Indonesia, can share their experience in developing museums through creative industries and promote their practical experience. It is hoped that through this forum, new measures will be encouraged to promote common development.

Minister of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia Phoenurng Sackona said that AMS especially Cambodia needs the support of dialogue partners like China to enhance cooperation in museums, cultural and creative industries and share advanced experience and good practices in order to promote the development of cultural and creative industries and enhance people’s understanding of cultural heritage through digital technologies.

Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri said that Malaysia looks forward to cooperation in the areas of exhibition cooperation, expert training and exchange programs, and will continue to support cultural and creative initiatives to strengthen ASEAN-China relations and promote cultural prosperity and common development.

ACC Secretary-General Chen Dehai hoped that ASEAN and China would strengthen policy exchanges and experience sharing, improve the cooperation mechanism, conduct in-depth study of the relationships between people and cultural relics, between protection and use, and between tradition and innovation, and deepen cooperation and exchanges in line with the trend of the digital era. With greater progress in social and culture areas, the two sides will  build better understanding, bring hearts closer together and form one big family between our peoples.  

As one of the sideline forums of the China-ASEAN Expo, the 17th ASEAN-China Cultural Forum was held online and on-site, with the theme of “museum cultural relics activation and the development of cultural and creative industry”. Around 250 guests, including government officials, experts and scholars from relevant fields of ASEAN and China, attended the forum upon invitation. They exchanged views on topics such as the new trend of preservation and inheritance of museum cultural relics, the scientific and technological innovation and museum cultural relics activation, and traditional features and modern aesthetics of cultural and creative products. The launching ceremonies for the 14th “Red Bronze Drum” ASEAN-China Art Education Achievement Exhibition and Performances, and Guangxi Cultural Tourism Block Chain and Chengyang Bazhai Digital Collection were held at the forum.