Participants at the opening ceremony of the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting in Beijing on July 10 (CNSPHOTO)

Chinese President Xi Jinping on July 10 stated that China is ready to work with other countries in building a global network for dialogue and cooperation among civilizations. Xi, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the statement in a congratulatory letter to the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting. 

The event, themed Safeguarding Diversity of Human Civilizations for World Peace and Development, was convened in Beijing on July 10-11. It was co-hosted by the Publicity Department and the International Department of the CPC Central Committee and drew over 600 participants from 140 countries and regions.

Xi pledged that China will work with other countries to champion equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations, and implement the Global Civilizations Initiative (GCI), in a bid to provide new impetus for advancing human civilizations and promoting world peace and development.

The GCI, proposed by Xi in 2023, calls for respecting the diversity of civilizations, promoting common human values, valuing the inheritance and innovation of civilizations, and enhancing international people-to-people exchange and cooperation.

"The world is, in nature, a place of diverse civilizations," Xi said. "History has shown us that exchange and mutual learning among civilizations are essential for civilizations to flourish and human progress to be made."

At parallel sub-forums, participants explored the pivotal role of inter-civilization exchange and mutual learning in building an inclusive world and promoting global development and prosperity, cultural inheritance and innovation, understanding and friendship among peoples, scientific and technological progress, and academic exchange.

Du Zhanyuan, President of China International Communications Group, emphasized the irreplaceable role of young people in promoting mutual learning between civilizations and preserving cultural heritage.

He noted that youth are the inheritors of their own cultures, driven by a strong desire for knowledge and cross-cultural exchange. According to Du, young people across the globe tend to view China, and the world at large, more positively than older age groups.

He cited historical figures such as Zhang Qian, a Chinese imperial envoy in the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-A.D. 220), Marco Polo, a legendary Italian explorer, and Joachim Bouvet, a French priest and Sinologist, who made great contributions to cultural exchange in their younger years. “In times of great change, we must pay more attention to identifying and cultivating young leaders who are eager to engage in civilizational dialogue,” Du said.

Ahead of the forum, international guests visited Shaanxi and Shandong provinces, as well as Shanghai, where China’s long history and rich cultural heritage left a deep impression on them.

“China is a peace-loving country, and its values of sharing, harmony and respect are worth learning from,” Raphael Tuju, former Cabinet Secretary of Kenya, told Beijing Review.

He referenced a core traditional value in African cultures, the Ubuntu philosophy, which translates to “I am because we are.” Ubuntu similarly stresses mutual respect, care and selflessness.

“We may look different or speak different languages,” he said. “But we share many of the same human values.”

He urged people to reject “us versus them” narratives and embrace common human values instead of allowing cultural differences to spark conflict. “We need all the voices of the world [to be heard], not just one or two voices, because we share this planet.”

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon 

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