• Rio Tinto sponsors Royal Ballet in China

Rio Tinto, a CBBC member, is supporting a five-week tour by London’s Royal Ballet to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong which started in June and will continue this month.

The chairman of Rio Tinto, Paul Skinner, said: “We hope to forge even closer ties with China by helping to make the tour possible and bringing this outstanding company to Chinese audiences. This is a particularly prestigious and important tour as it coincides with the Beijing Cultural Festival.” The festival is an opportunity for people around the world to share their traditions of art and culture.

Tony Hall, chief executive of London’s Royal Opera House, home of The Royal Ballet, said he was delighted that Rio Tinto is supporting the tour. The Royal Ballet is consolidating its relationship with China and, in particular, the new National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. “We’re very excited to be able to share the extraordinary performances by The Royal Ballet with Chinese audiences live on such a prestigious new stage”.

Further exchanges between the two theatres will continue over the coming years with National Centre for the Performing Arts staff also travelling to the UK.