During a recent visit to Beijing, Minister for Social Development and Culture Bernard Shamlaye signed the accord with Chinese Minister for Culture Cai Wu.

This covers culture and the arts, cultural heritage and museums, publications, libraries, film, the media and education.
 It provides for exchanges and cooperation in various forms.

Mr Shamlaye was accompanied by the principal secretary and the director-general for culture, Raymonde Onezime and Marcel Rosalie. In Beijing, they also met Ambassador Philippe Le Gall and most of the Seychellois students studying there.

From the Chinese capital, the delegation visited the provinces of Henan and Guangdong. Henan, the most populous province in the country and considered to be the cradle of Chinese civilisation, hosted a delegation from the National Assembly of Seychelles earlier this year, and its authorities are interested in forging closer relations.

In Guangdong Province the delegation visited the towns of Meizhou and Shunde – the places from which the forebears of most Seychellois of Chinese origin came – as well as the capital city of Guangzhou (Canton), where the 16th Asian Games had just been held.

Mr Shamlaye held talks with the town authorities as well as the Guangdong provincial leadership and briefed them on Seychelles’ economic development and investment opportunities, as well as notable events in the cultural calendar such as the Creole Festival, next year’s International Carnival of Victoria and the Indian Ocean Island Games.

The authorities said they are happy to study the possibility of providing support for these events. They also welcomed the idea of celebrating 150 years of Chinese presence in Seychelles, in 2012.
 
Following an invitation from President James Michel during the opening week of the Shanghai Expo 2010 in May this year, a delegation from Guangdong Province will visit Seychelles early next year. And a Chinese acrobatic troupe is expected in February.