BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- A government official said Monday that China has seen greater development in its exchanges with other cultures, with the content and form of cultural exchanges growing richer.

The country has signed inter-governmental cultural cooperation agreements with 145 countries and has agreed to nearly 800 plans for annual cultural exchanges, said Hou Xianghua, an official in charge of cultural exchanges at the Ministry of Culture.

China has also maintained close relations with around 1,000 cultural organizations, Hou said.

"The scale and scope of cultural exchanges between both governments and civil groups have seen unprecedented expansion," Hou said.

"Forms of cultural exchange are no longer limited to government delegations, performance tours and exhibitions. We now have ministerial-level forums, round-table conferences on cultural policies and exchanges for artists and authors," Hou said.

The sharing of Chinese culture with other countries is designed to strengthen mutual understanding between different peoples and different nations, Hou said.