China, Australia celebrate cultural ties

People listen carefully to the beautiful music produced by guqin - a plucked musical instrument that was widely favored by the literati in ancient times - during a special performance to spread traditional Chinese culture.

The show, held at the Australian embassy in Beijing on Dec 5, was part of a news conference to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Australia-China Council and the publication of a commemorative album that looks back at the past 40 years of the platform's work.

China and Australia built diplomatic ties in 1972 and, in 1978 the ACC was established to promote cooperation and communication between China and Australia in the fields of art, culture, sports and education.