BRICS to launch Cultural Festival to promote diversity

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Beyond trade and investment, BRICS countries are seeking to expand cooperation on the cultural front and China is hoping a first BRICS Cultural Festival, to be held later this month in the southeastern city of Xiamen, will boost exchanges and promote diversity.

To help in that endeavor, it has enrolled such big names at Russia’s Mariinsky and Bolshoi ballets, South Africa’s Joburg Ballet and China’s National Opera and Dance Drama Theater for a series of performances from September 15 to 22.

Soloists of Moscow's Bolshoi Ballet Daria Khokhlova (L) and Artemij Beljakov (R) perform the "Nutcracker" at the AUDI Arena of Gyor, Hungary, on D‍ecember 10, 2016. /AFP Photo

In all, over 210 artists from BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – will take part in over 30 events, from theater performances to master classes and movie screenings – including of “Where Has Time Gone?”, a film co-produced by all five BRICS countries.

Now the hope is that the Cultural Festival will become a regular event – like a BRICS Film Festival launched last year and a BRICS Business Forum held on the sidelines of Leaders' Summits since 2010 – Xie Jinying, the head of external cultural relations at China’s Ministry of Culture, told reporters on Sunday.

The 9th BRICS Summit is being held from Sunday to Tuesday in Xiamen, in southeastern China’s Fujian Province.

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