ISLAMABAD, JUL 07. Mr Nazir Ahmed, Joint Secretary of National History Literary Heritage Division

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good afternoon and Assalam-o- Alaikum.

It is a great pleasure for me to attend the opening ceremony of China Intangible Cultural Heritage Week 2017.First of all, on behalf of the Chinese Embassy and all my colleagues here, I would like to extend my sincere thanks and warm welcome to all of you.

People-to- people contact is one of the most important aspects of China’s One Belt and One Road Initiative, because this Initiative aims at not only economic prosperity but also tremendous cultural exchange. Intangible cultural heritage means the practices, representations, and expressions, as well as the associated knowledge and the necessary skills, which are well recognized as part of cultural heritage. The vitality of culture lies in the inheritance and innovation, just the same as the theme of this cultural week. To some degree, culture defines who you are, and the diversity of culture helps make the world colorful.

Today, intangible cultural heritage has become a hot topic in the world. Many countries are eager to make their traditional handicrafts, skills and rituals, etc, listed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Why? This will help demonstrate the diversity of its culture and raise th awareness about the importance of its culture. It is known to everyone that China and Pakistan are good neighbors, good partners, good friends and good brothers, but also known to the world that both the countries are rich in intangible cultural heritage.Pakistan is endowed with a rich cultural heritage both tangible and intangible, including mosques, relics, palaces, over 60 indigenous languages, folk music and dances, ceramics, woodwork and so on.

China is a country with a long history of civilization, and also splendid intangible cultural heritage resources. Till now, 39 Chinese intangible cultural items have been successfully entered the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, ranking top in the world. China Intangible Cultural Heritage Week is a global event organized by the Ministry of Culture of China, and has been carried out in nearly 30 China Cultural Centers all over the world, aiming at introducing excellent traditional culture to the world. During this cultural week, you will enjoy modern folk paintings,Chinese Paper-Cutting, Bird-Worm Seal Script, Ceramic Handicrafts, which will serve as a platform for visitors to interact directly with intangible cultural heritage experts from China.

China-Pakistan friendship is a precious heritage for both countries and our peoples. The phrase "Iron Brothers" has been ironed into our people’s mind like culture and will be inherited from generation to generation. Now we should do our best to endow this brotherly relations with new gifts through the Initiative of One Belt and One Road and building of CPEC.

One week is short but I think it will paly as a window into the colorful and diversified Chinese culture. May I wish China Intangible Cultural Heritage Week 2017 a great success.

Before concluding my speech, I would like to avail this opportunity to inaugurate a book "Contemporary Chinese Short Stories translated by renowned poet, a teacher of English literature and translator Mr. Munir Fayyaz.

It is recently translated and published by "Pakistan Academy of Letters" from English to Urdu. It is a good effort to promote literature which will further help to promote mutual understanding between the two countries. Many of these stories are of rural background and while reading them you will feel the taste of your own village culture.

Thank you very much.