Cultural and people-to-people exchanges can help the countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) forge closer ties, Yu Tao, President of China Pictorial, said at the awards ceremony of the SCO Chinese Calligraphy Contest held in Beijing on November 8.

Calligraphy is not only an art form that demonstrates the beauty of Chinese characters, but also is an important record of the history of the development of Chinese culture, Yu said. With the deepening of cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, more people have begun to learn Chinese, while the unique charm of calligraphy has gradually attracted their attention, he added.

Jointly hosted by the SCO Secretariat, the China International Publishing Group's (CIPG) subsidiaries China Pictorial and China.org.cn, as well as the New Era Health Industry Group, the contest attracted the participation of over 1,600 people from SCO member countries, aiming to promote the fine traditional Chinese art, enhance the friendship among the people and pay tribute to the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, as well as the 18th anniversary of the SCO. About 50 contestants in all won awards.