The Ningxia Hui autonomous region is to co-develop more TV programs with Arab countries and strengthen cultural exchanges this year.

Ningxia TV, the region's biggest television station, plans to shoot documentaries about Muslim food, sightseeing and the Silk Road with Arab partners.

In March, it will team up with partners from Turkey, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates to shoot the Muslim food show. It is also cooperating with partners from Iran.

The Silk Road program will be co-produced by the station and professionals from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

The station plans to stage a Chinese TV Week in Arab countries in the middle of the year to help people from the region and these countries to understand each other better. Details of the event are still being discussed.

You Yanru, the station's head, said it will also complete a framework plan for the China-Arab Broadcasting and TV Exchange Program in the next two years.

The program includes providing documentaries about Ningxia and other areas of China for Arab TV stations, making language learning TV shows for people in Ningxia and Arab countries, and exploring various ways in which to cooperate.

According to the station's development plan, it will establish China-Arab communication and exchange centers in Yinchuan, the regional capital, and in Dubai.

Contact the writers at dujuan@chinadaily.com.cn