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Six Greek exhibitions will tour eleven different museums in China from this year until 2027 which underline the close cultural cooperation that has developed between the two countries and that was sealed by the three-day visit to Greece by Chinese Deputy Minister of Public Relations Zhang Jianchun.
Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni welcomed Mr. Zhang Jianchun at the Acropolis Museum. During their meeting, the steady cooperation between the two ministries was highlighted, which resulted in the Greco-Chinese initiative of the Ancient Civilizations Forum, the Center for Ancient Greek and Chinese Culture, as well as numerous exhibition exchanges. Ms. Mendoni also officially thanked China for its full and continuous support to the Greek request for the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles.
Among the Greek exhibitions traveling to China is “The Greeks,” has acquired great success in the city of Changsa in the province of Hunan. Moreover, of emblematic significance in the cultural exchanges is the Museum of Underwater Antiquities, the construction of which will soon commence at the port of Piraeus where its completion is expected sometime between 2025-26. The museum will host a special hall with underwater antiquities originating from China. As Lina Mendoni stated, “the relations between our two countries have ancient roots but also contemporary dynamics.”
Also discussed was the initiative to organise a World Congress of Classical Studies in Beijing next fall, an idea that emerged during the meeting between Lina Mendoni and Chinese Minister of Public Relations Mr. Li Shulei amid the Greek minister’s visit to Beijing last October. The start of the Congress is likely to coincide with the opening of the exhibition ‘The Innumerable Aspects of Beauty” at the National Museum of China next October.
Mr. Zhang reiterated to the Greek minister China’s intention to establish a Chinese School of Classical Studies in Athens, following the example of other foreign schools based in Greece. The matter has been referred to the Ministry of Education. There was also a review of the translation program for Chinese and Greek works, in accordance to relevant bilateral cooperation memorandum signed in 2017.”
