WASHINGTON — China and the United States on Sept 28 pledged to boost cultural exchanges in a bid to enhance people-to-people ties between the two countries.

The pledge was made at the first China-US Social and People-to-People Dialogue held on Sept 28 in Washington. The event was co-chaired by visiting Vice-Premier Liu Yandong and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The Chinese and US governments have made great efforts in promoting cultural exchanges between the two peoples, including performances and visual arts events, advocating preservation of cultural relics, as well as supporting cultural cooperation between organizations and scholars, according to a joint statement issued after the dialogue.

China and the United States are committed to supporting the establishment of long-term communication and cooperation between the cultural organizations of the two countries, said the statement.

China and the United States will help promote bilateral cooperation between public cultural industries, as well as exchange visits among high-level cultural groups.

The statement also mentioned that exchanges and cooperation at local levels are one of the most active and robust areas in China-US relations, which indicates that the commonalities between the two countries far outweigh their differences.

To promote people-to-people exchange at local levels between the world’s two largest economies will bring benefits to both peoples, it added.

Such local-level exchanges cover a wide range of areas, including education, science and technology, environmental protection, as well as culture and healthcare, according to the statement.