Spain expects to join forces with China to promote an initiative that calls for more understanding among different cultures, Spanish foreign minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, said in Shanghai yesterday.

 

Spain initiated the "Alliance of Civilization" at a UN conference in September 2004.

 

"As an important and large country with a long history, China should not be absent from the alliance," the minister said during the third session of the two-day Spain-China Forum, which ends today.

 

"China should play an active role in the alliance," said Moratinos. He added that details of how China could become involved would be discussed today during his meeting with Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing.

 

President Hu Jintao endorsed the initiative during his visit to Spain last year.

 

Moratinos said Spain has proposed China assign a representative to the alliance-related high-level team in the UN.

 

"For special geograpical and historical reasons Spain is sensitive about different cultures," Moratinos said. "We are concerned about the current misunderstanding among cultures."

 

Prince Felipe de Borbon will visit China in July. Among a number of planned cultural activities the prince will open Cervantes, a language and cultural institute, in Beijing, Moratinos said. A similar institute is to open in Shanghai in the near future.

 

In turn, an institute bearing the name of the Chinese sage Confucius would open in Spain soon, Moratinos said.

 

"It's the right time to share our cultural and historical experiences since a large number of Spanish students and businessmen have come to China," he said.

 

The two countries have designated next year as the "Year of Spain" in China, which Moratinos said would lift the bilateral relations to a new height.

 

(China Daily March 22, 2006)