PUTRAJAYA, June 19 — Malaysia and China have signed an agreement to jointly nominate the lion dance for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as well as Malaysia’s membership in the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia.
The Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry (Motac) said this was achieved by both countries through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of tourism and the Executive Programme of Cultural Exchange Agreement 2024 to 2029, in conjunction with Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s official visit to Malaysia.
“A special Hang Li Po musical, theatrical performance by Orkestra Traditional Malaysia, Istana Budaya, with musicians from China, was also held,” Motac said in a statement issued today after the MoU exchange ceremony.
Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing exchanged the MoU document with China’s Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujin and witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Li today.
Motac said the signing would strengthen cooperation between Malaysia and China in tourism promotion and marketing, increase air connectivity linking major tourist destinations in Malaysia and China, promote business tourism, and promote and develop community-based tourism and ecotourism.
Malaysia and China will continue to increase collaboration in tourism and culture, aiming to develop products and services in the arts, culture, and national heritage industry through knowledge sharing and the exchange of expertise.
The MoU is in line with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China this year to enhance the synergy in the fields of culture and tourism between both nations.
On December 4 last year, Tiong said that tourist arrivals from China and India to Malaysia are expected to surge in 2024 following the government’s 30-day visa waiver effective December 1.
Immigration data from January 1 to November 15, 2023, recorded 26 million foreign arrivals in Malaysia, with 1.47 million of them from China and 780,532 from India.
— Bernama
