A major Chinese-African cultural exchange program – African Culture In Focus 2008 – kicked off in this southern Chinese city on Thursday.

The program brought together 147 artists, performers and cultural officials from 25 African countries for 11 days of dance performance, exhibitions and conferences on cultural exchanges in the southern Guangdong Province city that borders Hong Kong.

At Thursday's opening ceremony, seven African performing groups gave spectators an exotic performance at the "Window of World" tourist attraction.

"It was a wonderful performance," Liberian ambassador of culture, Juli Endee said after the show. "All the people here could enjoy different cultures, and such diversity would be further improved by such an exchange program."

The program is the first major cultural exchange event between China and African countries since the 2006 Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

"This exchange program with the world's largest developing country, China, and the continent with the most developing countries, Africa, bring us closer to each other," said Ding Wei, assistant minister of the Chinese Ministry of Culture, which hosted the program.

"I appreciate the cooperation between China and Africa. The exchange program is a demonstration of our diplomatic cooperation," Minister Counselor of Liberian embassy, Mohammed B.O.S. Kenneth,said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 24, 2008)