The Sydney Children’s Choir from Australia inaugurated the International Music Festival for Young People in Baotou, Inner Mongolia autonomous region on July 8.

The Sydney Children’s Choir from Australia has an opening show at the Baotou International Music Festival for Young People, in Inner Mongolia, on July 8. [Photo by Wang Xing/China Daily]

The international musical event is a program of Baotou’s 30th Lucheng (a nickname of Baotou) cultural activities, which it expects to cultivate the city’s local culture and build an international communication platform for young people, said Liang Jixin, deputy head of Baotou’s bureau of culture, broadcasting, television, press and publication at the festival’s opening ceremony.

In addition to officials from local governments, representatives from four countries’ embassies in China, including Australia, UK, Israel and the Czech Republic, attended the music festival.

Tash Jamieson, a representative of Australian embassy gives an address at the opening ceremony of the Baotou International Music Festival for Young People in Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on July 8. [Photo by Wang Xing/China Daily]

Tash Jamieson, representating the Australian embassy in China, said at the ceremony that China and Australia enjoy close connections and communication. She commented that such cultural exchanges are direct and prime ways to strengthen the two countries’ friendship.

Efrat Perii from the Israel embassy said that the music festival is a demonstration that arts make people across the world closer. She expressed pleasure that a symphony orchestra from Israel will take part in the festival.

Efrat Perii representating Israel embassy in China speaks at the opening ceremony of the Baotou International Music Festival for Young People in Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on July 8. [Photo by Wang Xing/China Daily]?

The cultural ties between Israel and China are getting tighter. Many artists and artistic troupes from Israel went to China to introduce their colorful culture to Chinese audiences, she said, hoping more cultural communication would be organized.

Besides the opening show by the Australian Sydney Children’s Choir, teenage arts groups from Canada, Israel, Turkey and Switzerland, as well as China, will perform during the musical festival from Aug 5 to 14.