BEIJING: “To spur people’s innovation and creativity, the best way is to come into contact with different civilizations, see the strengths of others and draw upon them,” Chinese President Xi Jinping has said, highlighting the importance of exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations.
The remark Xi made at the 2019 Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations is particularly relevant and important not only to Asian countries but also to countries across the world.
In today’s world facing a mixture of challenges, including a lingering pandemic, deteriorating global divide and geopolitical tensions, Xi’s words have been encouraging people from different civilizations to work together to find a way out and build a community with a shared future for mankind.
The following are some highlights of his remarks in this regard.
Jan. 18, 2017
In a keynote speech at the United Nations Office at Geneva, Xi said delicious soup is made by combining different ingredients, and that diversity of human civilizations not only defines our world, but also drives progress of mankind.
There are more than 200 countries and regions, over 2,500 ethnic groups and multiple religions in our world. Different histories, national conditions, ethnic groups and customs give birth to different civilizations and make the world a colorful one, he added.
Oct. 18, 2017
In a report delivered at the 19th Communist Party of China National Congress, Xi said that we should respect the diversity of civilizations.
In handling relations among civilizations, let us replace estrangement with exchange, clashes with mutual learning, and superiority with coexistence, he said.
Nov. 17, 2018
In a keynote speech at the APEC CEO Summit, Xi said that we live on a planet home to over 7 billion people, adding that trying to erase their differences will not work.
Such differences are not a hindrance to exchanges, still less a cause for confrontation, he said, noting diversity and interaction between different civilizations, social systems and paths can provide strong impetus for human progress.
June 14, 2019
When addressing the 19th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, Xi called on member countries to build the SCO into a paradigm in inclusiveness and mutual learning.
In this regard, he said, it is advisable to discard the concept of a clash of civilizations and uphold openness, inclusiveness and mutual learning.
May 15, 2019
When addressing the 2019 Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, Xi said that diversity spurs interaction among civilizations, which in turn promotes mutual learning and their further development.
He called on promoting exchanges and mutual learning among countries, nations and cultures around the world, and strengthening popular support for jointly building a community with a shared future for both Asia and humanity as a whole.
Sept. 22, 2020
When addressing the General Debate of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Xi said that we should embrace the vision of a community with a shared future in which everyone is bound together.
Calling on rejecting attempts to build blocs to keep others out and opposing a zero-sum approach, Xi said that we should see each other as members of the same big family, pursue win-win cooperation, and rise above ideological disputes and do not fall into the trap of “clash of civilizations.”
More importantly, we should respect a country’s independent choice of development path and model, Xi said, adding the world is diverse in nature, and we should turn this diversity into a constant source of inspiration driving human advancement.
Jan. 25, 2021
In his special address at the World Economic Forum Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda, Xi said the different histories, cultures and social systems are as old as human societies, and they are the inherent features of human civilization.
There will be no human civilization without diversity, and such diversity will continue to exist for as long as we can imagine, he said.
April 20, 2021
In his keynote speech at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference, Xi said that we need commitment to justice to create a future of mutual respect and mutual learning, highlighting that diversity is what defines our world and makes human civilization fascinating.
He called on encouraging exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations to promote the progress of human civilization.
Feb. 5, 2022
When delivering a speech at the welcoming banquet of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, Xi said that we need to follow the trend of the times, stay true to humanity’s common values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, promote exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations, and work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind.
April 21, 2022
When addressing the Opening Ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference, Xi stressed that countries around the world are like passengers aboard the same ship who share the same destiny. For the ship to navigate the storm and sail toward a bright future, all passengers must pull together.
Therefore, he called on the international community to embrace a global governance philosophy that emphasizes extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, promote the common values of humanity, and advocate exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations. ■ –Agencies
