CPAFFC Cultural Exchange Working Group Visits Switzerland,Germany and Greece

At the invitation of the Swiss-Chinese Association (SCA) of Switzerland, the Villa Musica Foundation of Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, and the Euro-Chinese Centre for Research and Development of Greece, a Cultural Exchange Working Group led by Wang Xiuyun, director general of the Department of Cultural Exchanges of the CPAFFC, paid a visit to the three countries from February 16 to March 5. The working group met with Pascal Couchepin, president of the Swiss Confederation, Dr. Thomas Wagner, president of the Swiss-Chinese Association, Dr. Elmar Ledergerber, mayor of Zurich, Marc Wehrlin, acting deputy director of Swiss Federal Office of Culture, Olivier Francais, vice mayor of Lausanne, Hofmann Gottig, state secretary of Rheinland-Pfalz and George Patoulis, mayor of Maroussi, and had wide contact with cultural institutions and local governments, during which the two sides had in-depth discussion on issues of common interest.

In Switzerland

During his meeting with the working group, Swiss Confederation President Pascal Couchepin said, Switzerland is one of the countries that established diplomatic relations with China in the early days of the founding of the People’s Republic and the two countries have enjoyed harmonious relationship ever since. On the questions of Tibet and Taiwan, Switzerland has always supported the stand of “one China”. In recent years, the friendly cooperative relationship between the two countries continued to deepen and develop, especially some Swiss people who are sincerely friendly to China, like those in the SCA, have made great efforts to promote exchanges and cooperation with China. China’s development has attracted world attention. This year, Beijing will host the Olympic Games and the Swiss people are now following with great interest the changes in China.

At the working group’s meetings with Swiss cultural institutions including the Federal Office of Culture, the State Secretariat for Education and Research, the Cultural Service of Zurich, the UBS Art Collection and the Swiss cultural foundation Pro Helvetia, the two sides talked about the possibilities of cultural exchanges between the two countries and reached consensus on several projects. At the group’discussion with Pro Helvetia, the two parties found that they have certain things in common regarding cultural exchanges leaving them much space for cooperation. The two sides should strengthen contacts in future to make contributions together to promoting cultural cooperation and exchanges between China and Switzerland.

Both Zurich and Lausanne are very willing to carry out cultural exchanges with China. The City of Zurich holds Drama Festival every year, and Dr. Jean-Pierre Hoby, director of the Cultural Service of Zurich hoped Chinese drama groups would participate in and give performance at the festival. The CPAFFC working group hoped the Cultural Service send a cultural study group to China to select the right drama troupes for performing at the festival. In Lausanne, the Summer Art Festival is held annually, during which artists from all over the world give various shows in open air for local residents and tourists. Their performances are well received. The Lausanne government gave Chinese artists their invitation to the art festival, and the working group expressed willingness to cooperate actively. The Federal Office of Culture would like to play the role of mediator between different cities and cantons so as to facilitate Chinese art troupes’ tour in Switzerland.

In Germany

The Villa Musica Foundation has had contact with the CPAFFC for 15 years. State Secretary of Rheinland-Pfalz Hofmann Gottig who is in charge of cultural undertaking, now serves as the president of the foundation. For 15 years, the two sides have exchanged music groups’ visits, playing the role of bridge in the musical fields between China and Germany.

During their visit in Germany, the working group held discussions with Hofmann Gottig and Kurt Karst, general manager of the Villa Musica respectively. Both sides agreed that after over 10 years’ cooperation, the two organizations through exchange of visits and holding cultural exchange activities have established trust and deepened friendship, and hoped that the exchange projects would be carried on in future. In their discussion on future cooperation, both parties believed that they should adopt more forms of exchange besides sending musicians on performance tours, and reached agreements on specific exchange projects for the following two years.

The Villa Musica has a Music Lovers’ Club with more than 600 members, some of them accompany the musicians of the Villa Musica on their performance tours overseas. The working group had reached an agreement with the president of the Music Lovers’ Club of the Villa Musica which provides: starting 2009, the Club will organize a 30-member delegation to visit China together with the German Music Group to promote mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese and German people through musical exchanges.

As arranged by the Villa Musica, the working group also called on the leader of the Luxembourg Music Information Centre and the Luxembourg Musicians’ Association, composer Marcel Wengler. Marcel Wengler is very interested in exchanges with Chinese musicians and musical institutions, and has had some contacts with his Chinese counterparts. The CPAFFC working group said, they could serve as a bridge between Chinese and Luxembourg musicians and help to provide opportunities for them to visit music conservatories in Beijing so that they could learn from each other and compose music together.

In Greece

The working group held discussions with the municipal government of Maroussi, Greater Athens of Greece.

The main stadium of 2004 Athens Olympic Games in Maroussi is located at one of the most important business centres in Greece. Mr. Christakis, general secretary of the municipal government briefed about its cultural facilities, especially the traditional shadow play and its museum. As China has longstanding art of shadow play, Mr. Christakis, on behalf of the city, expressed the desire to have cooperation with the CPAFFC in this regard by sending shadow play troupes to give performances in each others’ country. The Shadow Play Week is held every September in Maroussi, during which children will start a new semester happily while enjoying traditional shadow plays. He also hoped the CPAFFC would send a Chinese shadow play troupe to participate in the annual festival. The working group suggested that after the Greek Shadow Theater performed for the Beijing Olympics, the CPAFFC could arrange for it to make a performance tour of other Chinese cities.

Within a limited span of time, by meeting with friends from various circles as many as possible and establishing contact with cultural authorities and institutes in the three countries, the working group has laid a sound foundation for further cultural exchanges between the CPAFFC and its European counterparts.