China will end its restrictions imposed on Indian films with the two countries expressing desire for further cultural cooperation in the area. They are to set up of a Joint Working Group in this regard.
A secretary-level meeting held on Tuesday, discussed the popularity of Indian movies in China and proposed that the possibility of exchange of content on the TV Channels in terms of movies and serials should also be explored. The Indian delegation was led by Information and Broadcasting Secretary Bimal Julka. “We touched upon the issues related to the restriction of Indian films in Chinese market and asked them to look into the matter sympathetically,” he said
The Chinese side was headed by Jiang Jianguo, Vice-Minister for SAPPRFT (State Administration for Press, Publicity, Radio, Film & TV). “During the deliberations, both sides exchanged notes regarding the relevance of new media in the domain of communications. Both sides stressed upon the need of a separate Joint Working Group on films and related sectors”, he said.
According to Julka, such a framework could help in expediting issues related to co-production agreement in film sector. Jiang expressed satisfaction over the constructive dialogues and discussions on issues that were of mutual interest.
“The cultural exchange and culture promotion is very important to the bilateral ties of India and China”, he said. He added that discussions were held on variety of issues concerning media and entertainment, cooperation in the field of films, cooperation in sharing of digital and archiving content besides the exchange programmes.
Both sides agreed to work on a roadmap for enhancing bilateral cooperation. Julka also invited China as the “Focus Country” in International Film Festival of India (IFFI) to be held in Goa in November. The Chinese counterpart was very welcome to the proposal. Both sides also discussed on the content to be showcased in the festival.
Julka also proposed student exchange programme between the film institutes of both countries as another step for strengthening the cultural ties between the two nations. They also emphasised the need for increasing participation in International Book Fairs like Delhi Book Fair to enhance cooperation in the publication sector.