BEIJING - The publicity chief of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has urged local authorities to boost international cultural exchanges and cooperation.

Liu Qibao, head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks while visiting south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from Tuesday to Wednesday, according to an official statement released on Wednesday.

He visited enterprises and communities in the cities of Laibin, Liuzhou and Guilin to learn about cultural services and the development of the local cultural industry.

Guangxi's position on China's southern border can help it forge closer ties to southeast Asian countries, he said, adding that the region should use this advantage, as well as other methods, to boost cultural ties with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).