On 27 June 2011, as part of the German-Chinese intergovernmental consultations, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office Cornelia Pieper and Chinese Vice Minister of Culture Zhao Shaohua will sign a joint declaration of intent on promoting exchange and cooperation in the field of culture.

This agreement signifies more intensive cooperation on the part of the two countries in art and culture, education and media in the run-up to Germany’s Year of Chinese Culture 2012. The intention behind the agreement is to encourage and further direct collaboration among cultural institutions, such as museums, libraries and theatres. It is also hoped that there will be greater collaboration on training for experts and administrators in the cultural sphere, on preserving cultural heritage and on exchange between creators of film and culture as well as youth exchanges.