Switching to the Middle East now, and China Film Week has opened in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. The launch was attended by Wang Xiaohui, Head of the China National Film Bureau and Vice Minister of China's Publicity Department. Audiences throughout the Emirates can enjoy the selection of top Chinese movies over the next seven days. Yasser Hakim has more.

China Film Week is the latest form of cultural cooperation between China and the UAE. The opening ceremony precedes the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the country and was attended by Emirati and Chinese dignitaries.

WANG XIAOHUI DIRECTOR OF CHINA'S NATIONAL FILM BUREAU "The Chinese film industry is having good momentum in its progress. Outstanding works are constantly emerging. The market has leapt to second largest in the world."

Five Chinese films will be screened in movie theaters in the country's two biggest cities, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The genres include animation, history, thriller and war. The one chosen for the opening ceremony is the 2015 comedy-drama film "Go away Mr tumor", which is based on a true story about an artist who was diagnosed with cancer.

BAI BAIHE ACTRESS, CHINA "I am honored and thankful that this movie, which I was in, was chosen for the event. As an actress, I am lucky to play a role of someone who is very optimistic. I hope the audience will like her and want to learn more about today's young Chinese people."

Many see the festival as an opportunity to showcase the evolution of China's movie industry. While its first film was produced in 1905, it's only in the past six years where significant progress has been made. Box office sales have more than tripled during this period, from 2.5 billion dollars in 2012 to $8 billion last year. China has fifty thousand cinema screens, the highest number in the world. And a festival such as this is enabling locals to gain a better understanding of China's remarkable culture through film.

ANNE CHINESE EXPAT "I love this event. The films being shown this week are very famous and popular in China. I hope the people here in the UAE will watch and love them."

And their partnership is looking to expand beyond film festivals with both sides now looking at the feasibility of co-producing a movie in the near future.

YASSER HAKIM ABU DHABI "And China Film Week isn't just serving Emiratis and other Arab audiences, but it's also an opportunity for the tens of thousands of Chinese expats in the country to watch movies from their homeland. Yasser Hakim CGTN Abu Dhabi UAE."