The 2nd Arabic Arts Festival in China, organized by the Ministry of Culture and nations of the League of Arab States, will kick off on June 18 in both Beijing and Shanghai and will run until June 25.

The festival will comprise of four performance galas by Arabic artists, art and fashion exhibitions and a Chinese and Arabic Cultural Forum, the Ministry of Culture announced Tuesday.

Aiming to share Arabic culture in China and boost ties between China and Arabic countries, the festival will see more than 300 artists from 13 countries take part in the event that includes fashion shows, music, performance and art.

The National Folkloric Troupe from Egypt, as well as dancing troupes from Morocco, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Palestine, will present traditional cultural performances.

Fashion shows from Tunisia and Iraq will reflect contemporary styles combining traditional culture and modern elements. More than 300 pieces of art will be on show at Beijing's Capital Museum from June 21- 25 as part of the festival.

The exhibition will focus on contemporary visual arts, calligraphy and painting. Wan Jiyuan, vice president of China Arts and Entertainment Group said first class artists from the Arabic nations involved have been invited to include their works, in an exhibition that he believes will leave a deep impression for attending audiences due to the collection's innovative and cutting-edge concepts.

During the festival, cultural ministers of 11 Arabic countries will take part in the Chinese and Arabic Cultural Forum on June 22, exchanging views about future cooperation and cultural diversity.

Besides Beijing, the festival will also be staged at 2010 World Expo in Shanghai with some of the attending cultural ministers also visiting Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

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