The Bard in Beijing

The UK government has donated £1.5m to translate Shakespeare's entire works into Mandarin

UK Culture Secretary, Sajid Javid, has also pledged £300,000 to the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) for a tour of China that he hopes will drive more interest in UK tourism.

In a reciprocal gesture, 14 Chinese plays will be made available in English.

In a recent BBC interview, Javid claimed the translations are an "important step for both China and the UK to grow a strong and progressive relationship."

"This funding means Western and Eastern cultures can learn from and be enriched by one another and what better way than using the works of Shakespeare," Javid stated. The Chinese-to-English translations will initially be undertaken by the RSC - the home of Shakespearean drama.

Among other cultural exchanges between Mr Javid and China's vice-president Ma Kai was £300,000 in funds for museums.