Chinese and French ministers of culture issued a joint statement Tuesday in Beijing to express their views on a convention on cultural diversity, which is being drafted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Issued by Chinese Minister of Culture Sun Jiazheng and French Minister for Culture and Communications Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, the statement said that the two ministers will contribute to the international convention on the protection of diversified cultures.

On Nov. 2, 2001, the UNESCO passed a declaration on world cultural diversity. After that, Chinese and French culture ministers stated their support for the declaration on various international occasions.