Luo Linquan, Chinese consul general in San Francisco, introduces the second "Across the Pacific - China Arts Festival" at a press conference on Thursday at the consulate general in San Francisco. LIA ZHU / CHINA DAILY

A Chinese arts festival will be held in Northern California and Seattle from Sept 12 to Oct 25 to promote China's contemporary art in the United States and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

The Second Across the Pacific – China Arts Festival, organized by China International Culture Association in partnership with cultural societies in China and the US, will bring Chinese performing arts, including dancing, kung fu and crosstalk, as well as fine art exhibitions and Chinese movies, to US audiences.

"In this increasingly globalized world, China and the US have never been as close to each other as they are today, which naturally calls for mutual understanding," Luo Linquan, Chinese consul general in San Francisco, told a press conference on Thursday at the consulate general in San Francisco.

"Cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and the US can serve as a bridge between the two peoples to promote better understanding and friendship," he said.