Cultural exchanges between France and China will be celebrated with 100 events in 10 Chinese cities from next month during the China-France Cultural Exchanges Festival.

The festival will bring the visual and performing arts to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Nanjing, Dalian, Wuhan, Xi'an, Qingdao and Kunming cities from April 20 to June 11, said Olivier Guyonvarch, from the French Embassy in China, which sponsors the festival.

"It will give French and Chinese artists the opportunity to meet, free from the physical boundaries of their countries, and to combine their traditions and modernity, their similarities and differences," he said.

Some events would take place in Kuala Lumpur and Pinang, Malaysia, he said.

The celebrations have been an annual event since 2003.

(Xinhua News Agency April 1, 2006)