A digitized version of the 700-year-old Sultan Baybars' Qur'an using unique "Turning the Pages" technology on display at the British Library. (Photo : Reuters)
The Chinese delegation led by Chen Li, deputy director of the National Library of China (NLC), and representatives of Arab states have signed a memorandum of understanding that pave the way for the establishment of an expansive Arab-Chinese digital library, the Global Times reported.
The document, signed at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, also urged for cooperation and exchange of expertise in the field of information, press and communication between the two parties.
"We are working on the establishment of an Arab-Chinese digital library and we are about to prepare a digital library through the project of documentation of the Arab League's memory," Ambassador Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Arab League Assistant Secretary-General for Media and Communication, was quoted as saying.
The ambassador said that Arab states are very much interested in working with China due to the country's long history and rich cultural heritage, as the new agreement is expected to boost the cultural cooperation between the two.
The report said that the meeting is part of a framework that seeks to enhance the relations between China and the Arab world in accordance with what was agreed during the Arab-China cooperation forum in 2004.
The NLC, one of the largest libraries in the world, received more than 5,000 books on Arabic history and culture as donation from the Arab nations, the report said.
The NLC deputy chief, for his part, called on Arab countries and China, who both have been part of ancient civilizations, to have frequent cultural interactions to maintain their relations.
"We hope to enhance the idea of regional cooperation on libraries, build a platform between Arab and Chinese libraries, fill in the gap in cooperation in this field and promote bilateral understanding and mutual learning," Chen was quoted as saying.
