Cultural Exchanges in March

Various cultural exchanges among the two nations' ordinary people will also be held.

Three concerts by young art college teachers from both countries will be held in the latter half of the year, while China's art talents will exchange their ideas on art education with their counterparts in Russian art institutes.

A Chinese language contest among Russian college students will start in October, with the 40 finalists getting a chance to study in China.

2、French Culture Week

Sponsored by the French Embassy in China and the International Organization of French-speaking Countries, the 2007 French Culture Week is held in Beijing from in March. During this time, many activities will be held, covering areas like literature, music and dance, movies and exhibitions, and more, giving Chinese people a window into French culture and promoting mutual understanding between the two peoples.

In literature, the coming of Dai Sijie will attract Beijing's attention. Born in Sichuan Province, he came to France in late 1983 and became a director and writer there. His first novel, "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress," was a great success and then in 2003, his second novel, "Le Complexe de Di," won Le prix Femina. Besides Dai Sijie, another French writer, Natalie Kaufman, will also come to China. As for music and dance, a French concert combining Canadian folk music, rock and jazz kicked off "French Culture Week."

Movies and exhibitions are also a part of French Culture Week. "The French Movie Festival" runs throughout the festival and the "African Short Movie Show" will illustrate the African impression of China, through Chinese-Africans' eyes.

3、Sino-Japanese Year of Cultural, Sports Exchange Launched

Marking the 35th anniversary since the normalization of Sino-Japanese ties, China and Japan jointly launched a "year of cultural and sports exchanges". The event will feature around a hundred separate activities revolving around themes ranging from arts, sports, tourism, film and TV as well as youth exchanges.