Benedict Cumberbatch plays the title role in "Sherlock," opposite Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson. (Photo : Facebook/Sherlock)
Backed by the governments of China and the United Kingdom, the 2015 U.K.-China Year of Cultural Exchange would feature the best in both countries' cultures in hopes of deepening the relationship of China and the U.K. in culture and arts.
Among the projects lined up for the year-long cultural exchange was the creation of the China-U.K. Media Industries Exchange to encourage cooperation between the nations' media.
Launched on Jan. 24, the media cultural cooperation would see activities sponsored by the British company Zespa Media and the Communication University of China that would see TV personalities visit the countries, while seminars about TV programs and copyright issues would also be held.
The two institutions would also collaborate on the Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival.
CUC has been rethinking the standard of TV programs in the nation for a long time. To address this, the institution would seek the help of Zespa Media in inviting British media personalities to hold talks and lectures for local media practitioners as well as students.
Meanwhile, the Consul of Education of the British Council in China, Meera Saujani, sees the China-U.K. Media Industry Exchange as a great opportunity to strengthen bilateral ties within the creative arts of the two countries.
"The program provides a platform to develop new connections and deepen collaboration, including traditional media and new media," observed Saujani.
"It also opens up opportunity to promote connections through culture and arts, and to profile the strength of the U.K. and China," she added.
Suajani hopes that the cooperation between the two countries would encourage and increase their collaboration on TV shows and films.
Programs such as "Downton Abbey" and "Sherlock" are said to be popular among Chinese viewers, and Saujani has expressed hopes that both countries could collaborate on the production of a show much like the two in the future.
The education consul maintained that the cooperation in TV production was to promote partnership and in no way designed to push for a specific TV format over another.
