ISLAMABAD, Aug 26: The Chinese have a proactive strategy to preserve and project their glorious heritage and modern cultural undertaking by means of private and public industrial and business firms, and we can adopt this model in our own surroundings.
This was stated by Chairman Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) Iftikhar Arif at a press briefing on his return from a poetry conference held at Aksu in Chinese South Xinkiang from August 10 to 20.
Mr Arif said Prof Aftab Iqbal Shameem and he represented Pakistan at the poetry moot which was also attended by about 66 poets from Afghanistan besides the Chinese. He said the conference was a continuation of the process of Chinese opening-out to the world and they wanted to project the magnificence of culture, heritage and civilization to all the peoples of the globe.
Mr Arif said Pakistan had strong ties of friendship with China which had withstood the test of time and in this way the two countries had so far had nine exchanges of writers between them.
As to the lesson to be learnt from the partnership between the private and public sector in promotion of culture, he said Pakistan had the tradition in the past and large business houses would publish classics and works of great poets, but now the practice was discontinued.
"May be we could revise it and extend the range of collaboration to other aspects such as promotion of creative writing, arts and preservation of archaeological relics and heritage," he said.
Prof Shameem, who was also present at the press briefing, said China felt that the countries of Asia were feeling the brunt of economic measures which was affecting their cultural tradition and in order to avoid this kind of pitfall, the authorities here are advised to integrate commercial activities with cultural appurtenances.
