Culture plays a vital role in promoting Sino-African relations, President Hu Jintao said yesterday.

Hu has spoken repeatedly of the benefit of cultural exchanges while in Africa, as well as discussing ways to fight the global financial crisis.

He made his most recent comments while on a visit to the Chinese Culture Center in Mauritius.

After watching Mauritians practice taichi, Hu said the traditional form of martial art has a greater role than just building up bodies.

"Through taichi, you can learn about Chinese culture, and more importantly it promotes friendship," he said.

The president read a poem with the students by Song Dynasty poet Su Shi, which lauds the beauty of the West Lake in Zhejiang province.

"Learning Chinese will pave the way for better exchanges between Chinese and Mauritian people," he said.

The center, the first culture facility that the Chinese government opened overseas, has expanded over the past 20 years. Its visitors have included successive Mauritian presidents and prime ministers.

It has also hosted arts and photo exhibitions, performances and film festivals.

Photos by leading Mauritian photographer Brahms Mahadea were on display in the center yesterday. The works were all about China, from the Great Wall to the West Lake.

Among the visitors was Manisha Jooty, a news editor with the Mauritius Broadcasting Corp.

"The exhibition is a window to Chinese culture," she said.

The center hosts Chinese language, dance and kungfu courses.

Janice Adelaide, 22, has been learning Chinese dance there for three years.

The marketing salesperson with Emcar Co loves the art more than local dances.

"Chinese dances are more graceful, and the teachers are nice," she said.

A Chinese couple from the China National Dance Troupe has been teaching since 2005.

The pair went back to China six months ago, but found they missed Mauritius.

"My wife missed the girls so we came back," Geng Jun said.

Official cultural exchanges started in 1980 after the two countries signed an accord to enhance mutual understanding through culture.

China has opened seven culture centers overseas, and will open at least five more.

The Chinese Culture Center is not the only place in Mauritius where local people can learn about China.

Chinese language is now part of the curricular framework, which states: "With the emergence of India, China and the Arab countries as global economic players, knowledge of an Indian language, Putonghua or Arabic is a great advantage."

Lin Jinghua contributed to the story

(China Daily February 18, 2009)