GUANGZHOU: Culture chiefs in Guangdong are pushing for more joint projects with neighbouring Hong Kong and Macao.

Speaking at an annual cultural meeting which concluded on Wednesday in Jiangmen of Guangdong Province, Cao Chunliang, director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Culture, said that a series of initiatives with Hong Kong and Macao will be carried out this year.

They are set to include moves to recommend Cantonese opera be included in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's world heritage list, promoting the traditional art to the world and giving it official recognition.

Cantonese opera, which originated in South China in the late 13th century, is one of the major Chinese opera categories and is still very popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Macao.

Li Ningyi, deputy director of the Guangdong Arts Exchange Centre, told China Daily yesterday that the three areas would work together to promote the inclusion of Cantonese opera on to the list.

"Three principles collaborative spirit, common identity and international branding are all agreed as the basis for cultural collaboration in the delta area."

Cao said: "Geographically, Guangdong neighbours Hong Kong and Macao, and the three regions share many common grounds in cultural development."

Cao believes that even more cultural co-operation in the future will result in more recognition from Hong Kong and Macao people for the cultural development on the mainland and help to build international cultural and art branding.

In the Seventh Regular Meeting for the Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Co-operation, which opened in Hong Kong yesterday, Cao discussed with his counterparts from Hong Kong and Macao for more joint projects to take place in the years to come.

The first such meeting in November 2002 saw an agreement signed by the three parties to establish a foundation for cultural co-operations.

Under the agreement, the three places share a mutual exchange of cultural information and talents for performing arts, and joint organization of performances.

They have also agreed to develop a museum and digital library network, and promote heritage and Cantonese opera, known as "Yueju."

To date, a series of events, including the exhibition "East meets West cultural relics from the Pearl River Delta Region," currently running in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, have been successfully held by the three places.

In addition, the Pearl River Delta Cultural Information Net was also launched in April 2004, to enhance the cultural exchange of cultural information among the three places on the Internet.

Editor: Yan