Moscow and Beijing intend to cooperate on a number of entertainment projects, Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova has said

Moscow and Beijing are aiming to agree a plan on joint film production, Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova has said. The plan was discussed during a meeting in Beijing between Lyubimova and Shen Haixiong, the general director of the China Media Group, the ministry stated in a press release on Friday.

The statement noted that Russian delegates had presented a number of projects to Chinese partners this week, including full-length feature and documentary films and series, as well as animation. Additionally, the two sides discussed cooperation with China Film Group and the potential release of the Russian movie 'The Wizard of the Emerald City: Part 1' in Chinese cinemas. 

"Our goal is to approve specific ideas for joint films that will not only attract a large audience in Russia and China, but will also be distinguished by high-quality, highly artistic content," Lyubimova said. She added that the plan would be implemented with administrative support from the relevant authorities and would contribute to the creation of new films and the expansion of commercial and state exchanges.

Shen, who also serves as deputy director of China's Publicity Department, stated that movie imports and exports between Russia and China should increase significantly, and that Beijing "highly values the open dialogue" on the matter with Moscow.

The Russian Culture Ministry noted that the two nations previously engaged in joint film projects, including the historical movie 'Red Silk', which had a successful premiere in Russia in February and earned over 500 million rubles ($5.9 million) within the first month. The ministry added that the film is expected to be released in China soon.

In addition, Lyubimova invited Chinese representatives to take part in the presentation of the Eurasian Film Academy and the Open Eurasian Film Award in Moscow in April. The joint movie action plan is part of broader efforts to strengthen cultural ties between Russia and China, the ministry added.