Xi Writes In Letter That International Cultural Gathering Also Promotes World Peace, Development

Xi writes in letter that international cultural gathering also promotes world peace, development

BEIJING, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Oct, 2018 ) :Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the fifth annual conference of the Taihu World Cultural Forum, which held last week in Beijing, saying that cultural exchanges and mutual learning are an important driving force for human progress and world peace and development.

Wang Chen, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice-chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, read Xi's letter at the opening ceremony of the forum, themed "Dialogues of Cultures: Building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind", at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

Wang said the annual forum is aimed at further exploring the theoretical backing and path to building a community of a shared future for mankind, and finding solutions to the problems the world is facing.

He said participants in the forum would exchange their ideas in a candid way and provide thoughts and driving forces for the common prosperity of the world.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory letter saying that given the circumstances of a volatile world, countries should press for cooperation using the guidance of building the community of a shared future for mankind proposed by Xi.

He said countries connected by the ancient Silk Road will make their contribution to intercultural dialogue.

Yan Zhaozhu, chairman of the forum, said uncertainty in the world situation has increased with the growth of unilateralism and protectionism. There should be unwavering confidence in building the community of a shared future for mankind, Yan said.

The key to the success of such a community is cooperation, he said. "Openness and inclusiveness are the base, mutual respect is the precondition and mutual benefit and win-win results is the impetus." People's minds should go with the current of the times, and never fall back to the old ideas of zero-sum games and winner takes all, he said. Every country should have the right to choose a development mode and path that suits them the best.

Zhang Meiying, vice-chairwoman of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and honorary chairwoman of Taihu World Cultural Forum, called the international rescue of the Thai youth soccer team this year an example of the importance of building a community of a shared future for mankind.

Wu Hailong, president of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, said cultural dialogue is a major way to enhance mutual understanding, especially when the world is faced with a complex situation.

We will have a more beautiful, vibrant and lively world through cultural exchanges, Wu said.

Zhou Shuchun, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, said the world is faced with uncertainty and volatility, with unprecedented problems and challenges, and the global community has to make a crucial choice that will have a great impact on world development and humanity's future.

Altynai Omurbekova, vice-prime minister of Kyrgyzstan, said dialogue among civilizations contributes to strengthening the awareness of the values that people share regardless of our race, gender, language or religion.

Former Polish president Bronislaw Komorowski said, "Dialogue is the way to protect spiritual and cultural values and to respect the diversity of faith, culture and language." Essam Sharaf, former prime minister of Egypt, agreed that damage to humanity and nature that the world is experiencing is a legitimate reason for global harmony.

Sharaf said he thinks that fulfilling the dream of global harmony is an extremely difficult task, but difficulty is beautiful.

Veteran journalist, Masood Malik said that traditional and social media were important for brining diverse cultures and minds closer and helped create a peaceful global environment ideal for cognitive harmony.

"The mind loves to be in places which are soothing and avoid cognitive dissonance. The media is an apt tool for creating positivity and harmony at a global level," he added.

The forum has attracted nearly 1,000 politicians, entrepreneurs, scholars and cultural notables from about 40 countries and regions to share ideas and learn from each other, contributing collective wisdom to the development of universal civilization.

Six forums, a cultural dialogue, a movie dialogue and other events, were held during the forum. It included sharing ideas about the contribution to human civilization of international relations, world economy, cultural exchanges, ecological civilization, the Belt and Road Initiative, the internet, philosophy, science and society and traditional medicine.

This year's conference was co-hosted by the Taihu World Cultural Forum and China Daily, with support from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Chinese Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Counselor's Office of the State Council.

Founded in March 2008, the Taihu World Cultural Forum is a high-level, unofficial international cultural forum. The previous four annual conferences were held in Suzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Macao.