I believe the following to be true about the situation of calligraphic creation currently in China: the mainstream school of calligraphy plays a major role while the modern styles of calligraphy remain to be non-mainstream. But this does not affect the study and innovation of modern calligraphy. It is also no surprising that many different schools of modern calligraphy have been developed . What's important is that these various schools further promote modern calligraphy based on mutual respect. It can be estimated that, in the next century, people will realize from a broader point of view the necessity for modern calligraphy to exist and to develop.

I regret I am unable to attend this grand meeting since I will soon visit Japan with the 20th Century Calligraphy Exhibition. I, therefore, wish the meeting in Chengdu complete success.

Sincerely,
Wang Xuezhong
June 15, 1999

(Wang Xuezhong, a famous calligrapher and painter, is now a professor of Tianjin University)

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