Global Civilization Dialogue: Towards a new global harmony

Despite the hot and humid weather in Beijing, July was a particularly stirring month for Chinese leaders. In July, China hosted several significant global conferences, marking a historic milestone. The 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations opened on July 9 in Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius. The event attracted over 500 experts and scholars from more than 70 countries, centering on the theme "Beauty in Diversity: Nurturing Understanding among Civilizations for Global Modernization." Meanwhile, Beijing hosted the ministerial-level Global Civilization Dialogue on July 10-11, which drew over 600 delegates from 140 countries and regions. The dialogue's tagline was "Safeguarding Diversity of Human Civilizations for World Peace and Development." At the same time, Tianjin held the Foreign Minister-level Conference of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries. Across these conferences, Chinese leaders and international guests have overwhelmingly emphasized a key theme: the critical importance of dialogue among civilizations in fostering global harmony.

The Global Civilization Dialogue promotes the exchange of ideas, values, and experiences among cultures, civilizations, and nations, aiming to enhance mutual understanding and foster international cooperation. Dialogue among civilizations is not a new phenomenon. If we look beyond the curtains of history, we find numerous examples of civilizational dialogue among different cultures. The ancient Silk Road is one of the finest examples of this kind of dialogue, which not only enhanced the economic exchanges between different civilizations but also fostered strong cultural relations and the exchange of ideas. It was one of the most travelled routes to connect Chinese, Indian, and Western civilizations together. In the Middle Ages, Arabs also used the same route to foster exchanges between the East and the West. In the modern era, the establishment of the United Nations in the 20th century provided an institutional framework for multilateral dialogue. However, efforts to establish a unipolar world persisted. After the Cold War, a multipolar world gained support from different countries. In today's multipolar world, where power is redistributed and diverse perspectives coexist, civilizational dialogue is crucial for achieving true inclusivity. It enables nations to learn from unique development experiences and supports diverse paths to modernization.

In today's interconnected world, technological advancements and economic prosperity have brought people closer, yet cultural and political differences continue to deepen. Despite remarkable progress achieved by different civilizations, global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, economic inequality, and conflict are too complex for any single nation to address alone. Cultural and political misunderstandings often fuel conflicts, underscoring the urgent need for dialogue among civilizations. Recognizing this, the United Nations declared 2001 the "Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations." However, the initiative taken by the United Nations still remains divided on challenging issues.

In 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping, addressing representatives of more than 500 political parties and organizations from over 150 countries, proposed the Global Civilizational Initiative, emphasizing the universal values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom. The initiative advocates respect for the diversity of civilizations, the common values of humanity, the importance of inheritance and innovation of civilizations, as well as robust international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation. This is also evident in the advocacy for a peaceful and prosperous world vision by President Xi through a series of initiatives, including the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. Initiated and supported by China and 82 other countries, a UN resolution established June 10 as International Civilizational Dialogue Day. 

In an era of global turmoil, the importance of civilizational dialogue is paramount. The post-Cold War unipolar order has given way to a multipolar world, with powers such as the United States, China, the European Union, Russia, and India recognizing the need for a robust platform for collaboration and cooperation. Dialogue among civilizations is essential for peaceful coexistence. While global issues like climate change, economic inequality, terrorism, pandemics, and illiteracy persist, the Global Civilizational Initiative offers a framework to mitigate such tensions and provide opportunities to minimize them through dialogue.

China's achievements over the past decades have positioned it to lead global civilizational dialogue. Over the last four decades, China's share of global GDP has grown significantly, making it the world's second-largest economy. This growth has been accompanied by remarkable technological advancements and the lifting of millions of people out of poverty through determined policies and sustainable action plans. With its remarkable growth in industrial, manufacturing, and technological areas, China has transformed itself from the "World's Factory" into the "World's Innovation Hub." Through breakthroughs like DeepSeek and BYD's electric vehicles, China has demonstrated its unsurmountable achievements in both software and hardware technology. As China has benefited from the world's innovative experiences, it is also enthusiastic about sharing its own experiences with the world. Through economic investments and cooperation, China contributes to the progress of other nations, sharing its experiences to help them develop efficiently while avoiding its past mistakes. It has attracted many countries to its governance model.

In the area of preserving traditional heritage and culture, China has demonstrated commendable achievements. Chinese civilization, one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations with a history spanning 5,000 years, offers a rich tradition of dialogue and harmony. Its ancient philosophical values, particularly those of Confucius, provide a foundation for fostering mutual understanding and respect. Confucius's principles of "Harmonious cooperation amidst diversity (和而不同)", and "Great unity of the world (世界大同)," offer a philosophical basis for global civilizational dialogue. The Beijing Declaration of the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Civilizations Dialogue, announced on July 11, highlighted that enhancing people-to-people and cultural exchanges is an effective way to eliminate estrangement and misunderstanding among civilizations and enhance cooperation in addressing global challenges. Meanwhile, the 110 Action Plans from the same conference reflect a proactive approach to the Global Civilizational Initiative.

About the author: Vikash Kumar Singh is a Hindi Language Foreign Expert at Beijing Foreign Studies University. He earned his master's degree from Renmin University of China and his Ph.D. from Peking University, specializing in China-India relations and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

E-mail: vikash@bfsu.edu.cn