China, Asian counterparts initiate alliance for cultural heritage conservation

BEIJING, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- China and nine Asian countries jointly initiated an alliance for cultural heritage conservation at the two-day Asian Dialogue for Cultural Heritage Conservation that concluded Thursday.

The alliance will be an inter-governmental platform for exchanges and dialogue on cultural heritage protection built on a voluntary and equal basis, upholding the principle of mutual respect, mutual benefit as well as a win-win outcome.

It is the common responsibility of Asian countries to conserve, carry forward and harness Asian cultural heritage as Asian countries are closely connected and share a natural bond of affinity, said Hu Heping, China's culture and tourism minister, when addressing the conference jointly hosted by China's National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Beijing municipal government.

The founding countries of the alliance include Armenia, Cambodia, Iran, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen among others.