From November 11 to 28, 2001, headed by Shen Weichen, a Standing Committee member and Director of the Publicity Department of the provincial CPC Committee, Shanxi Information and Culture Delegation paid a friendly visit to Italy, France and the UK at the invitations of the organizations concerned from the above three countries. En route the delegation stopped over in Germany and Belgium, where the members of the delegation called on diplomats of the Chinese Mission to the European Communities. The delegation, while in Europe, toured public libraries, museums, cinemas and theaters, galleries, radio and TV stations, and newspaper offices; it explored and learned the mechanisms of management and investment concerning cultural institutions as well as activities of van -ous nongovernmental art establishments and operations of different folk art festivals. When meeting as many friends as possible in each country that it went to, the delegation has briefed them on Shanxi ’s economic, social, and cultural developments, thus facilitating mutual understanding and consolidating the friendly cooperative relationship. ln lt8ly the delegation concen- tf8t6d more on the exami- nation Of POlicies Of cultural relics pWion and cuItural business management; it held a succesSfuI discussion about estabIishing Steady commercial, technological, and cuIturaI reI8tions with Abruzzo R6gion. When meofing with responsible personneI Of lt8ly --China Commeroe Chamber and l- t8Iy--China Friendship ASso- ciation, it t8Iked about POs- sibIe cuIturaI exchanges and cooP6r8tion betWeen Shanxi Province and ltaIy. ln France the deIega- tion went and saw, among Other places, the famous LOuvre and the Palace Of VersaiIIes. Shen Weichen, he8d Of tbo deIeg8tion, m6t with Mme. Agnes de Gouvlon dsint--Cyr, Diatr Of th6 PhofOgraphy DeP8rtment Of the French Ministry Of Culture. as weII as some Other phOtOgraphers and ex- chang6d opinions Anut hOw tO bett6r run the PingyaO Inteodionai PhOtOg- raphy Fedival and Other wide-ranging areas Of COOP6talion. The d6I6gation then traveIed fur’ther tO qri6y, LOrr8n, a siSter city Qf Changzhi, Shanxi, re-- ceiving a warrn weboe ho the Of- licials Of the cty council. And in Briey the del6g8tton tOued the local oPera house, museum and the branch Office Of Le R6publicaln LOrrain. And in London, Brit8in, the dele- g8tion toured, among Other pIaces’ Of int6rest, the British Museum, the Na- tionaI GalIery, and the Greenwich Observ8tory befOre visiting the BBC. L8er on the deIegaion traveled tO Derbyshire ----a tWinning reI8tionship with Shanxi ----where the deIeg8tion was warmIy received. Officials frbm DerbyShire’s boh County Council and City Council met sePaF8teIy with the deleg8tion and discussed about how tO deepen the friendIy coopeF8ion be- tWeen the twO sides befOre signirig a letter Of intent in this regard. ln Der byshire the deIeg8tion also tOured Ii- brarieS, an oPera hOUS6, museums, and the local t6Ievision Staion. While in Derbyshire, the beIegaon call6d on members Of OVera Chinese Welf8re Committ66 and Derbyshire - Shanxi FriendShip Assocl8tion; it aIso dropPed in at homes Of the Britlsh friends, dungIng lntO an atmosphere of Sino--Brttish friethehlp. AI f the memb6rs Of the deIe- gation f6It that th6y had leam6d more than a few thiop from this visit. To- dny, at a time When China has jdned the WOrid Tboe OroaniZahan (WTO) and the mark6t economy is gaining momentum, edmonished Diatr Shen Weichen, we shouId Strengthen ider- m8tion and cultural ’exchanges with fOreign countries, Ieam from fOreign foranced experiences, promOte co- oper8tion, meanwhiIe intrOduClng Shanxi tO the worId, raising itS name awareness,. better discovering the u- nique CuItural resources th8t Shanxi has tO Offer, and bOOsting Shanxi’s socioeconomic development. The deIegation comPOS6d Ied- ers from the provinciaI Foreign Affairs Office, the InfOrmation Office, the CuIture Bureau, Shanxi Daily, the Ra- dio and TeIevision Bureau and the CuItural ReIics Bureau. From November 11 to 28, 2001, headed by Shen Weichen, a Standing Committee member and Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC CPC Committee, Shanxi Information and Culture Delegation paid a friendly visit to Italy, France and the UK at the invitations of the organizations concerned from the above three countries. En route the delegation stopped over in Germany and Belgium, where the members of the delegation called on diplomats of the Chinese Mission to the European Communities. The delegation, while in Europe, toured public libraries, museums, cinemas and theaters, galleries, radio and TV stations, and newspaper offices; it explored and learned the mechanisms of management and investment concerning cultural institutions as well as activities of van -ous nongovernmental art establishments and operations of different folk art festivals. When meeting as many friends as possible in each country that it went to, the delegation has briefed them on Shanxi’s economic, social, and cultural developments, thus facilitating mutual understanding and consolidating the friendly cooperative relationship. ln lt8ly the delegation concen- tf8t6d more on the exami- nation Of POlicies Of cultural relics pWion and cuItural business management; it held a succesSfuI discussion about estabIishing Steady commercial, technological , and cuIturaI reI8tions with Abruzzo R6gion. When meofing with responsible personneI Of lt8ly - China Commeroe Chamber and l- t8Iy - China Friendship ASso- ciation, it t8Iked about POs- sibIe cuIturaI exchanges and cooP6r8tion betWeen Shanxi Province and ltaIy. ln France the deIega tion went and saw, among Other places, the famous LOvre and the Palace Of VersaiIIes. Shen Weichen, he8d Of tbo deIeg8tion, m6t with Mme. Agnes de Gouvlon dsint - Cyr, Diatr Of th6 PhofOgraphy DeP8rtment Of the French Ministry Of Culture. As weII as some Other phOtOgraphers and ex- chang6d opinions Anut hOw tO bett6r run the PingyaO Inteodionai PhOtOg- raphy Fedival and Other wide-ranging areas Of COOP6talion. The d6I6gation then traveIed fur’ther tO qri6y, LOrr8n, a siSter city Qf Changzhi, Shanxi, re-- ceiving a warrn weboe ho the Of- licials Of the cty council. And in Briey the del6g8tton tOued the local o Pera house, museum and the branch Office Of Le R6publicaln LOrain. And in London, Brit8in, the dele-g8tion toured, among other pIaces’ Of int6rest, the British Museum, the NavigationI GalIery, and the Greenwich Observatory befOre visiting the BBC. L8er on the deIgaion traveled tO Derbyshire ---- a tWinning reI8tionship with Shanxi ---- where the Deeg8tion was warmly received. Officials frbm DerbyShire’s boh County Council and City Council met sePaF8teIy with the delegate and discussed about how tO deepen the friendIy coopeF8ion be- tWeen the twO sides befOre signirig a letter Of intent in this regard. ln Der byshire the deIeg8tion also tOured i-brarieS, an o Pera hOUS6, museums, and the local t6Ivision Staion. While in Derbyshire, the beegaon call6d on members Of OVera Chinese Welf8re Committ66 and Derbyshire - Shanxi FriendShip Assocl8tion; it aIso dropPed in at homes Of the Britlsh friends, dungIng lntO an atmosphere of Sino - Brttish friethehlp. AI f the memb6rs Of the dei-gation f6It that th6y had To- dny, at a time When China has jdned the WOrid Tboe OroaniZahan (WTO) and the mark6t economy is gaining momentum, edmonished Diatr Shen Weichen, we shouId Strengthen ider- m8tion and cultural ’ exchanges with fOreign countries, Ieam from fOreign foranced experiences, promOte co-oper8tion, meanwhiIe intrOduClng Shanxi tO the worId, raising itS name awareness ,. better discovering the u nique CuItural resources th8t Shanxi has tO Offer, and bOOsting Shanxi’s socioeconomic development. The deIegation comPOS6d Ied-ers from the provinciaI Foreign Affairs Office, the InfOrmation Office, the CuIture Bureau, Shanxi Daily, the Raid and TeIevision Bureau and the CuItural ReIics Bureau.