China will stage the fourth "Meet in Beijing" Arts Festival in 2004 with an African theme and atmosphere, as Africa will be the guest continent, Vice-Minister of Culture Meng Xiaosi announced Friday.

Meng told a gathering of envoys and cultural officials and their spouses from 32 African countries that the annual gala was one of China's largest international arts festivals, and she hoped the African envoys would send their top cultural groups and exhibitions.

The first ministerial conference of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum was held in Beijing in October 2000, and the second is scheduled for November this year.

The Ministry of Culture will hold a series of cultural exchange activities to promote Sino-African relations next year, including sending Chinese cultural groups to visit Africa.

(Xinhua News Agency August 2, 2003)