The two-day China- ASEAN joint culture performance and symphony orchestra of young musicians opened Saturday evening in front of the world well-known Angkor Wat.

This joint event is to commemorate the 15th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relations and the opening of the "Year of Friendship and Cooperation between China and ASEAN".

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, Culture Minister Sisovat Panara Sirivudh, Chinese Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Dawei, Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Zhang Jinfeng, and other diplomats from ASEAN member countries as well as about 1,500 people attended the opening ceremony.

More than 150 artists and musicians from China and ASEAN member countries offered art performance, such as Cambodia's Apsasa dance, Beijing opera as well as other traditional dances, music and joint China-ASEAN art performance.

"Cambodia is very pleased to host this significant commemorative activity," said Hor Namhong. "I strongly believe that the commemorative summit will further advance ASEAN-China partnership to a higher level," he added.

The performance tonight is the opening one. A series celebrating activities will be followed, including youth camps, lecture series, issue and distribute commemorative stamps, cultural tours, TV documentaries, friendship sport activities and people-to-people exchange program.

The aim of the event is to strengthen China-ASEAN friendship and cooperation, promote public awareness and people-to-people contacts, deepen understanding of the growing China-ASEAN relations and to generate new impetus for the mutually beneficial China-ASEAN dialogue relations.

"It is an important milestone in the history of the relations of China and Southeast Asian countries for the establishment of China-ASEAN dialogue relations," said Wu Dawei at the opening ceremony. "The facts have proved that the dialogue relations not only serve to the common interest of China and ASEAN, but also conform to the trend of times and have great vitality," he added.

Wu also conveyed Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's greeting and best wish to the artists and the performance. Premier Wen just concluded his two-day official visit to Cambodia on Friday afternoon.

Minister Hor Namhong said that "for the past 15 years, ASEAN and China have made significant progress in many areas for their cooperation, such as politics, security, economics, social and functional cooperation."

He said "as the country coordinator for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations for almost the last three years, Cambodia is delighted to see the growing ASEAN-China cooperation as well as the strengthening of ASEAN-China strategic partnership."

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Built between the 9th and 13th centuries by Angkorian Kings, ancient temples are a symbol of Cambodian national pride and the country's biggest tourist attraction.

The Angkor complex, one of the ancient building wonders in the East, located more than 300 km north of the capital Phnom Penh, is under international protection as a World Heritage Site.

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