Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to China, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the China and the UAE Youth Cultural Exchange Week, Dec 16, 2019.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The China and the UAE Youth Cultural Exchange Week, with the theme of "Feeling China and Cultural Sharing", kicked off on Dec 16 at the China Soong Ching Ling Science & Culture Center for Young People.

Sponsored by the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, the UAE Embassy in China and China Everbright Group, the event aims to deepen mutual understanding in the cultural field between young people in China and the UAE.

Jing Dunquan, vice-chairman of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, pointed out in a speech at the opening ceremony that 2019 marks the 35th anniversary of China-UAE bilateral relations, and that hopefully a long-lasting mechanism can be built to promote people-to-people exchanges between the youth of the two nations.

Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to China, attended the event and said in an interview that, "The event here today taps into a wider strategy of UAE-China cultural cooperation that has been set by the highest levels of the Chinese and UAE governments.”

Having lived and worked in Beijing for many years, the ambassador also expressed his personal interest in Chinese culture. "I have gained a deep understanding and appreciation for Chinese culture along with my family. For myself, I am fortunate enough in my position to be invited to a number of cultural events, so my eyes are opened to Chinese culture more than most,” he said.

The event also covers a wide range of cultural activities for visitors to experience, including traditional Chinese tea rituals, embroidery art, Chinese classical music and Oracle bone paintings.