The 7th China International Chorus Festival made its debut in Wuxi City of east China's Jiangsu Province Monday, with a theme of "for future-peace and friendship."

Fifty-nine domestic choral groups will be joined by eight overseas groups, including Poland, Israel, Japan and Indonesia, as well as 59 domestic for week-long contest and festival. Foreign troupes participating in the competitions have been invited to perform both their national song and a Chinese song.

Besides formal contests, a total of 13 performances and two lectures will be arranged during the festival.

The festival, which takes place every two years, is sponsored jointly by the Ministry of Culture, the China Foreign Cultural Corporation, the government of Wuxi City and the China Cultural International Travel Agency.

(Xinhua News Agency July 27, 2004)