Meng Xiaosi, vice-minister of culture said at the celebration function that the CPAA has served as a cultural envoy between China and other countries ever since its founding.

In the past 45 years, the CPAA, which began as a small unit hardly with any experience, has developed into a large firm with five sub-divisions and gained high notoriety for its superb international cultural exchange programs, such as the Chinese Culture Tour of the United States, and France-China Culture Year.

In addition, the CPAA is innovative and very competitive in marketing and sales. Performing arts circles worldwide took the CPAA for China's largest importer of foreign artistic performances, and also as the best source of Chinese cultural products.

In recent years, the CPAA has created a number of excellent cultural activities for Chinese citizens. In 1996, the company sponsored the China International Symphony Year, the first year dedicated to celebrating the performing arts.

In 1997, the CPAA served as the agent for China's Central Ballet Troupe, helping to lift the Chinese ballet market out of dilemma. Its other products, ranging from Turandot in the Forbidden City or to the Chinese Culture trip to Japan, all projected a fine image of Chinese culture on the world stage. The annual artistic gala "Meet in Beijing," has become a cultural trademark of China for CPAA's peers and artists worldwide.

CPAA has also joined hands with local artistic troupes to stage overseas performances. Traditional Chinese music was presented for the first time in New York's Carnegie Hall, overwhelming the mainstream audience in the United States, Japan and Europe.

(Xinhua News Agency December 20, 2002)