Khartoum, March 17, 2026 (SUNA) – Minister of Culture, Information, Antiquities and Tourism, Khalid Al-Eisir, held talks on Tuesday with Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sudan, Zhang Xianghua, on ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in the cultural, media, and tourism sectors.The two sides discussed a range of issues of mutual interest, including enhancing cooperation between counterpart institutions and expanding exchanges of expertise. They also reviewed plans for a visit later this month to Northern State, which will include field tours of several archaeological sites as part of joint efforts to promote heritage protection and cultural tourism development.The Chinese diplomat described the meeting as positive, highlighting opportunities to advance cultural ties alongside cooperation in media, antiquities, and tourism. He also revealed that an official invitation had been extended to the minister to participate in the sixth Arab Arts Festival, scheduled to be held in China in early June, with the participation of Arab and Chinese culture ministers, alongside the China–Arab States Cooperation Forum.He reaffirmed his country’s support for the Ministry’s efforts, commending Minister Al-Eisir’s handling of these files amid current challenges. He added that a financial contribution had been provided to support initial preparations for the Ministry’s plans as part of broader reconstruction efforts.The meeting comes amid growing Sudan–China relations and reflects both sides’ commitment to strengthening cooperation in cultural and media fields in support of shared interests.BH/BH