PUTRAJAYA: 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 the official visit of Chinese Premier Li Qiang 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 on Wednesday (June 19) 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 on Wednesday.

Motac said the signing of the MoU would strengthen cooperation between Malaysia and China in tourism promotion and marketing; increasing air connectivity linking major tourist destinations in Malaysia and China; business tourism; and the promotion and development of community-based tourism and ecotourism.

The statement said that Malaysia and China will continue to increase collaboration in tourism and culture towards the development of products and services in the arts, culture and national heritage industry through knowledge sharing and exchange of expertise.

It added that the inking of the MoU was 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 Dec 4, 2023, Tiong was reported to have 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 Dec 1.

Immigration data from Jan 1 to Nov 15 2023, recorded 26 million foreign arrivals in Malaysia, with 1.47 million of them from China and 780,532 from India. - Bernama

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/06/19/malaysia-china-to-jointly-nominate-lion-dance-for-unesco-cultural-heritage-list