Under the roadmap of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Culture, the Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theatre is initiating collaboration with national drama theatres in the People's Republic of China. Theatre Director Ilham Asgarov (Honored Cultural Worker) is currently visiting China for this purpose.

During the visit, meetings were held at the national drama theatres of Gansu and Shandong provinces, as well as the Shandong Grand National Drama Theatre, where cooperation prospects were discussed.

A memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Gansu National Drama Theatre and the Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theatre. The agreement includes staging works from both countries' national dramaturgy, conducting master classes, organizing tours for creative teams, and implementing joint projects.

Gansu National Drama Theatre Director Wei Shoulin expressed strong interest in partnering with the Azerbaijani theatre and praised the initiative.

In his speech at the signing ceremony, Ilham Asgarov thanked the culture ministries of both countries for their support in strengthening theatrical ties. He emphasized that the cooperation will significantly contribute to developing cultural relations between Azerbaijan and China, highlighting President Ilham Aliyev's successful policies in fostering international partnerships, including recent agreements and the 2025–2029 Cultural Cooperation Protocol signed in Beijing.

Asgarov added that a key goal is familiarizing with modern Chinese theatre equipment for potential future exhibitions and applications in Azerbaijan, confident that the partnership will bring fresh energy to theatrical life in both nations and enhance cultural ties between the peoples.

The visit also included observing rehearsal processes at the Shandong Grand Theatre and Shandong National Drama Theatre, with further discussions on collaboration perspectives.