Germany and China have signed an agreement on greater art, cultural and educational cooperation.

After the signing of a joint declaration in 2004, Sino-German relations were described as a “strategic partnership in global responsibility.” Another joint declaration, signed last year, raised bilateral relations to a new level: the two governments are now seeking to coordinate policy more closely, and have established annual intergovernmental consultations.

As part of this year’s Germany-China consultations, taking place in the last week of June in Germany, the German Minister of State at the Foreign Office Cornelia Pieper and Chinese Vice Minister of Culture Zhao Shaohua have signed a joint declaration of intent on promoting cultural exchange and cooperation. The agreement signals more intensive cooperation on the part of the two countries in the fields of the arts, culture, education and the media in the run-up to Germany’s Year of Chinese Culture 2012.

The intention behind the agreement is to encourage and further direct collaboration among cultural institutions, such as museums, libraries and theatres. It is also hoped that there will be greater collaboration on training for experts and administrators in the cultural sphere, on preserving cultural heritage and on exchange between creators of film and culture as well as youth exchanges.

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