Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum+ 2025 concludes on high note (with photos)

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     The Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum+ 2025 organised by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau was successfully concluded today (April 23). Themed "Connect, Create, Engage: Bridging Cultures for All", the forum gathered cultural ministers and senior officials from a record-high number of 17 countries to exchange views on strategies in promoting arts and cultural development. Moreover, five of the countries, including Belt and Road countries from outside Asia, participated in the forum for the first time, fully demonstrating Hong Kong's role of a "super-connector" and East-meets-West centre for cultural exchange.

     At the panel yesterday (April 22), the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, and the Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr Gao Zheng, shared their vision, policies and strategic directions with the participants on topics including the ways to promote development of arts, culture and creative industries, nurture talent for the industries, drive innovative collaborations as well as advocate cultural integrations.

     During the forum, Miss Law; the Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ms Vivian Sum; and the Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau, held bilateral meetings to exchange views on cultural co-operations with representatives from participating countries respectively. The participating countries also proactively connect with one another through the forum. Over 20 bilateral meetings have been conducted in this forum.

     Participating delegations which attended the forum joined the plenary session this morning, which consisted of two parts, namely "From Connect to Create: Platform for Synergy" and "From Create to Engage: Arts for Everyone". With the experience sharing and real case studies of local speakers and delegation, participants were encouraged to discuss how the establishment of platforms and promotion of community engagement facilitate the development of arts and cultural scene and ecology, the benefits of wider public engagement in arts and cultural activities, as well as the possible directions and measures to make this happen.

     The delegations went to the Hong Kong Palace Museum at the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) this afternoon to gain first-hand knowledge of the latest development of the WKCD and visit the special exhibition "The Forbidden City and The Palace of Versailles: China-France Cultural Encounters in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries". The exhibition presents nearly 150 spectacular treasures from the Palace Museum and the Palace of Versailles, illuminating the fascinating encounters and exchanges between China and France in science, artisanship, arts, culture, and philosophy during the 17th and 18th centuries. It is the best demonstration of a blend of Eastern and Western cultures.

Ends/Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Issued at HKT 22:20

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The Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau, delivers a speech at the Plenary on From Connect to Create: Platforms for Synergy today (April 23).