Shandong University (SDU) and Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History signed a memorandum of cooperation on archaeology and cultural heritage at the National Museum of History in Mexico, marking a new step in academic and cultural exchanges between China and Mexico.

The signing ceremony was attended by Yeidckol Polevnsky, chair of the Asia-Pacific Foreign Relations Committee of the Mexican Senate; José Luis Perea González, technical secretary of the National Institute of Anthropology and History; Yang Chuanying, cultural counselor at the Chinese embassy in Mexico; and Cao Xianqiang, vice-president of SDU.

The memorandum outlines plans to establish a long-term cooperation mechanism and enhance collaboration in areas such as archaeological excavation, heritage protection, academic research, and talent exchanges, promoting greater exchanges between the people of China and Mexico.

Cao said SDU has a long history and a strong disciplinary foundation in archaeology, with particular strengths in areas such as field archaeology, cultural relic protection, scientific archaeology, and cultural heritage studies. He expressed a desire to work with Mexican institutions, draw on each side's strengths, and create a new platform for dialogue and mutual learning between the two cultures.

Representatives from Mexico and China also noted the significance of the cooperation. Perea González said Mexico has a rich and diverse historical and cultural heritage and that it also attaches great importance to archaeological excavation, heritage protection, and cultural inheritance. Polevnsky said China and Mexico both have rich cultural histories and can deepen mutual understanding through cooperation in archaeology and cultural heritage.