With the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting taking place in Beijing on July 10 and 11, CGTN published an article highlighting how China’s Global Civilization Initiative is offering a constructive platform for bridging differences, promoting people-to-people exchanges, and building a more inclusive, cooperative international community amid rising global uncertainties.
BEIJING, July 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As the world marked the first International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations on June 10, calls for mutual respect, inclusive development and cultural exchange resonated across the world – from the UN headquarters to tea ceremonies in Mauritius, from porcelain showcases in Italy to academic forums in Athens.
The day, designated by the UN General Assembly in 2024 following a resolution proposed by China and co-sponsored by over 80 countries, comes amid rising global tensions and pressing challenges – making civilizational dialogue not just timely, but imperative.
In a congratulatory letter to the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting on Thursday, held in Beijing from July 10 to 11, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that in a world where transformation and turbulence are interwoven and humanity stands at a new crossroads, there is an ever-pressing need for civilizations to transcend estrangement through exchanges and to transcend clashes through mutual learning.
Themed “Safeguarding Diversity of Human Civilizations for World Peace and Development,” the two-day meeting attracted over 600 guests from 140 countries and regions.
Why China proposed the Global Civilization Initiative
Xi proposed the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) in 2023 after proposing the Global Development Initiative in 2021 and the Global Security Initiative in 2022. The three initiatives have earned international support as important public goods provided to the world by China.
With a vision of building a world where civilizations don’t collide but converse, the GCI responds to the international community’s call for promoting dialogue and exchanges among civilizations and gathers forces to eliminate misunderstandings and barriers, injecting positive energy into human solidarity in responding to common challenges.
In his keynote speech, Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, said the GCI, which is deeply rooted in China’s fine traditional culture, has received enthusiastic responses and positive echoes from the international community.
Noting that the path to global peace and development remains long and challenging, Cai called for joint efforts to explore diverse development models, strengthen cultural inheritance and innovation, advance cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and build a diverse and multi-dimensional global network for dialogue and cooperation among civilizations.
Over the years, China has established a series of multilateral exchange platforms, such as the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations and the Conference on Dialogue Between Chinese and African Civilizations, and held a series of activities, including the China-ASEAN People-to-People Exchange Year and the Liangzhu Forum, building a platform for equal dialogue among different civilizations.
According to a recent CGTN poll, respondents widely recognize inter-civilization exchanges and mutual learning as a crucial driving force for advancing human civilization and promoting world peace and development, adding that the GCI has evolved into a broad consensus for addressing global challenges.
How China practices the Global Civilization Initiative
China, as a practitioner of civilizational exchange, has grown from a participant in “dialogue with the world” to an advocate of “world dialogue,” actively expanding space for cooperation among civilizations.
Thanks to joint efforts from China and other countries, rich and diverse international people-to-people and cultural exchanges have become a widely recognized phenomenon, fostering mutual understanding and closer ties among peoples around the world.
From joint archaeological projects with partner countries of the Belt and Road Initiative to a slew of events like art festivals, expos, exhibitions and the Luban Workshop, these exchanges have delivered tangible results and gained widespread popularity.
China now has unilateral visa exemption for 47 countries and transit visa exemption for 55 countries and provides a more convenient payment and travel environment for inbound tourists.
Xi pledged in the letter to the forum that China will work with other countries to champion equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations; implement the GCI; and build a global network for dialogue and cooperation among civilizations in a bid to provide fresh impetus for advancing human civilizations and promoting world peace and development.
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