The 22nd China Shanghai International Art Festival signed cooperation memorandums online with representatives from 10 performing arts organizations in 10 countries, Xinhua News Agency has reported. A total of 11 international art projects have been confirmed for this year's edition of the event.

Among the first batch of signed projects are Christian Thielemann's concert with Germany's Staatskapelle Dresden Orchestra, a concert by the New Japan Philharmonic, Romeo and Juliet by the American Ballet Theatre and The Taming of the Shrew by the Monte Carlo Ballet.

The 22nd China Shanghai International Art Festival will also host a Lithuanian culture week to showcase the unique charm of music and dance art in the Baltic region.

The organizer said it was not easy to simultaneously sign contracts online with organizations from Monaco, Germany, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Serbia and Lithuania at the same time. Signatories are spread across three continents and have all been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Many participants said the online event at this time is a reassuring sign that the event will be held as scheduled and an indication that the coronavirus epidemic could be overcome with the power of art.

Founded in 1999, the China Shanghai International Art Festival is the largest performing season in China and is held in Shanghai every autumn.