A Mozambican official has said Sino-Mozambican cultural engagement helps sell the output of Mozambican cultural and creative industries, Xinhua reports.

The Chinese government-run news agency quotes Mozambican Ministry of Culture and Tourism secretary Domingos Artur as telling a gathering in Maputo that the branch of the Confucius Institute in Eduardo Mondlane University and the Mozambique-China Cultural Centre, now under construction, were examples of Sino-Mozambican cultural engagement.

Mr Artur said the thrust of Sino-Mozambican cooperation was in line with his government’s aim to exploit culture and tourism to make the African country’s economy more diverse.

The report quotes Chinese Ambassador to Mozambique Su Jian was as saying cooperation by ordinary Chinese and Mozambicans is a new highlight of the Sino-Mozambican relationship.

Hundreds of people, including two former presidents of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano and Armando Guebuza, attended the gala mainly featuring performances by artists from China’s Guizhou Province, in celebration of the 70 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Xinhua says.