China's Ministry of Commerce Sponsors the 2016 Samoan Culture and Arts Seminar

On October 17th, 2016, Chinese Ambassador Wang Xuefeng met with the 20 participants of the "2016 Samoa Culture and Art Seminar" (also known in Chinese as the "2016年萨摩亚文化艺术研修班”) before their departure to China.

This three-week program allowed the 20 Samoan trainees to travel to China and learn about China's development and culture, especially in Beijing and Guizhou. The participants were pulled from Samoan government departments, art institutions, and the private sector.

The seminar was sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and was held at the Central Institute of Cultural Management in Beijing. On November 9th, 2016, the Samoan Culture and Arts Seminar came to a close.

On November 25th, 2016, Ambassador Wang Xuefeng convened a meeting (known in Chinese as the "中萨文化旅游和文化产业发展研讨会") at the Chinese Embassy in Samoa for the 20 Samoan participants to share their experiences and lessons learned. Loan applications and disbursements are still being received and processed as the projects continue to evolve.

Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are in place to ensure project continuity.