Chinese Cultural Minister Luo Shugang led a Chinese cultural delegation and representatives of major Chinese cultural institutions and enterprises to Ottawa, Canada for meetings from Feb 1 to 2, 2018. The meetings were the first of the Canada-China Joint Committee on Culture and the opening of the dialogue between Chinese and Canadian cultural industries. The delegation was responding to an invitation from the Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent a special greeting by video and warmly welcomed the Chinese delegation. Trudeau also spoke highly of the importance of the initiative.

Representatives of the first meeting of the Canada-China Joint Committee on Culture 

The two sides held six large-scale events including formal talks between the two ministers of culture, exchanges between 18 cultural institutions of China and Canada, dialogue with 34 cultural enterprises, a luncheon for cultural and creative industries, a signing ceremony of six cooperation agreements and a closing dinner. Luo, Joly, Chinese Ambassador to Canada Lu Shaye and other senior Canadian and Chinese officials, as well as representatives of major cultural institutions and enterprises of the two countries, attended the events.

The two ministers of culture and the delegates spoke highly of the significance of establishing the Canada-China Joint Committee on Culture. They all agreed that the  meeting was a major measure for implementing the achievements made by the leaders of the two countries in recent years. It was an important symbol in deepening the cultural relations between the two countries in the new era and a new milestone in the history of Sino-Canadian cultural relations. It symbolizes that cooperation in Sino-Canadian cultural fields is now long-term and will surely lead to more fruitful results.

The two ministries of culture jointly issued the "Minutes of the First Meeting of the Canada-China Joint Committee on Culture" after the meeting. Zhao Haisheng, the minister-counselor of cultural affairs at the Chinese embassy in Canada, attended the conference.