Beijing – The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) and China’s State Administration for Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) have signed 11 out of 17 Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate bilateral government cooperation, media research, business projects, and academic exchanges. MDA values the deals at $S33.4 million ($US22.9 million). An MOU aims to facilitate information exchange; co-production of film and TV projects between Chinese and Singaporean companies, and encourage reciprocal participation in key media events. Another was signed with SARFT’s Film Bureau to co-organize each other’s film festivals, starting with this month’s Singapore Film Festival in Beijing. The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Automation and MDA are to set up the China-Singapore Institute of Digital Media in Singapore to boost media research. To be ready by 2008, the research institute will involve some 40 Chinese researchers conducting interactive digital media (IDM) R&D.