Going beyond entertainment

The innovative model of two ballet companies co-producing a performance has also become a platform for bilateral cultural industries' cooperation.

Paul Mashatile, former Minister of Arts and Culture of South Africa, said culture had become a major driving force for economic growth in many African countries. Boasting of rich cultural resources, China and Africa face a common challenge in how to translate these resources into economic benefits for the well-being of the people. "Culture is not only entertainment, it is also about business, and about jobs," Mashatile told ChinAfrica.

South Africa's performing arts, Nigeria's film industry dubbed Nollywood, the Makonde wood carvings of Tanzania, sculptures of Zimbabwe, they have all developed into famous cultural industries in Africa, according to Mashatile.

"China and Africa need to jointly seek ways of transferring their respective unique cultural elements into products and promote them in each other's domestic markets," said Song.

In the past, governments were the only drivers and partners in this field. Now cultural cooperation is being expanded by letting the people and market play their parts. The Roundtable Conference on China-Africa Cultural Industry, held in 2013 and 2014, has become an information-sharing platform for exchanges and cooperation in the culture industry. African culture officials and experts and their Chinese colleagues discussed the role of the culture industry as an emerging industry on both sides, as well as policies, success stories, concerns and prospects for such cooperation.

Song noted that combining cultural exchanges with the development of the economy and improvement of local people's livelihood has achieved good results.

China has enhanced vocational training in various fields, including the martial arts, library management, heritage protection, and pottery, to help African countries foster professionals. The focus of personnel training is shifting from government officials to artists, cultural management staff and professionals, according to Song.

Since 2010, China's Ministry of Culture has sent craftsmen from Qinghai and Guangdong provinces to Benin and Lesotho, to train locals in the techniques of thread inlaying and pottery respectively. "Such training for developing African skills was well-received," he said.

Yeneneh Tesfaye, a former Ethiopian student who trained at the Wuqiao Acrobatic Art School in north China's Hebei Province, has gone on to become a star circus performer in his home country. He said the acrobatic course in Wuqiao, known as the home of acrobatics in China, taught him the ancient Chinese art and was a turning point in his life.

Respect bridges civilizations

As the saying goes, the key to people-to-people exchanges lies in heart-to-heart communication.

No matter whether it's an African student like Tesfaye learning acrobatics or the popular Chinese TV series, A Beautiful Daughter-in-Law Era, dubbed into Swahili, both enrich cultural and people-to-people exchanges and promote friendship.

"African societies have the same large families that the Chinese have and their audiences can relate to the drama," Cultural Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Tanzania, Liu Dong, told ChinAfrica. "[The TV series] helped Africans understand today's China better," added Liu, who has made great efforts to promote Chinese TV series.

Song Yanqun said geographical remoteness as well as language and cultural barriers do exist, yet the most important principle [for bridging the gap] is respect for each other's people and civilization.

The value of cultural cooperation is immeasurable. "Art knows no borders. The mission for both Chinese and South African dancers is to convey intimate emotions through the art form of ballet to the audience," said Yu Chuanya, the ballerina.

Song said that China's cooperation with Africa, as put by President Xi Jinping during his visit to Africa, is guided by sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith. "In view of this, I believe the message delivered at the Johannesburg Summit of FOCAC will be one of China's continued support for Africa," he added.