from EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja, Nigeria
Nigeria Bureau
ABUJA, (CAJ News) – THE film industry can be used as a vehicle to promote global peace, China’s top envoy in Nigeria has said.
Cui Jianchun, Chinese Ambassador, was speaking at the fourth Asian Film Festival in the West African country.
The event opened this week at the China Cultural Centre in the capital, Abuja.
“Culture is the soul of a country, and cultural exchange is the spiritual exchange of people from all countries,” Jianchun said.
He described film as an artistic expression of culture, thus a film festival co-hosted by many countries would build a platform for people to understand each other’s culture, art and lifestyle.
The diplomat said this would help people to understand each other and deepen friendship between countries.
“On this basis, understanding will surely overcome misunderstanding, friendship will replace hatred, people will live in harmony, and the world will develop peacefully,” he said.
Jianchun said this was the original objective of the joint film festival.
The envoy meanwhile said Nigeria’s Nollywood film industry had great potential.
Nine Asian countries co-hosted the event.
Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea and Syria are participating in the film festival.
– CAJ News