By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 18: China has invited Malaysia to join cooperation on Maritime Silk Road heritage protection and a city alliance for heritage protection and joint World Heritage nominations, aiming to explore cross-border heritage conservation, research, and joint nomination efforts.
In a Facebook post, Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Malaysia Dato Sri Tiong King Sing said this followed a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China and Head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration of China, Rao Quan, while attending a meeting related to the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia in Hangzhou, China.
“Malaysia has long been an important point along the Maritime Silk Road and possesses rich historical and cultural resources. I welcome further discussions between both sides to promote the protection and preservation of Maritime Silk Road cultural heritage,” he said.
During the meeting, Tiong said the two sides exchanged views in depth on protecting Maritime Silk Road heritage, artefact exhibitions, and professional exchanges.
“On artefact exhibitions, I hope more two-way exchange initiatives can be undertaken from next year onwards. Besides bringing outstanding artefact exhibitions from China to Malaysia, I also hope Malaysia’s historical artefacts and cultural diversity can be showcased in China, allowing more Chinese people to appreciate the richness of Malaysia’s history and culture,” said Tiong, who is also the MP for Bintulu and assemblyman for Dudong.
He added that Rao said Malaysia-China cultural cooperation should not be limited to signing memorandums of understanding, but should instead involve specific projects, responsible agencies, and implementation mechanisms, aligning with the practical approach consistently emphasised by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
In addition, both sides also discussed cooperation in museum management, artefact conservation technology and professional training.
“Rao proposed that the Department of Exchange and Cooperation under China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration take the lead in establishing a coordination mechanism with relevant departments in Malaysia to discuss and implement specific cooperation projects jointly.
“Malaysia and China share deep historical ties and a strong foundation for cooperation. I hope both sides can accelerate follow-up actions and translate cultural heritage cooperation from discussions and exchanges of views into concrete actions and tangible results, for the benefit of the people of both countries.” — DayakDaily
