Beijing, November 28th—the first Dialogue on Exchanges and Mutual Learning Among Civilizations, organized by Chinese Association For International Understanding, an institute affiliated to the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), was held at the Palace Museum. Nearly 100 delegates from different civilizations around the world attended the dialogue. The participants held discussions on the theme of "building a beautiful world in which different civilizations learn from each other and live in harmony".

Ji Bingxuan, Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee and Chairman of Chinese Association for International Understanding, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. He said that the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. It is the common aspiration of all peoples to enhance exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and promote world peace, stability and development. At the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations held last May, President Xi Jinping pointed out that diversity spurs interaction among civilizations, which in turn promotes mutual learning and their further development. The history of the development of the Chinese civilization is a history of exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. We are willing to take this dialogue as an opportunity to build a bridge among civilizations, tighten the bond of maintaining world peace and consolidate the people-to-people foundation for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Song Tao, Minister of the IDCPC, said in his speech that system is the essence of civilization. The socialist system with Chinese characteristics and the national governance system are the crystallization of the fine traditional Chinese culture, which has added new connotation to the institutional civilization of mankind. We will work hard to make the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics more mature and perfect, and share China's experience and wisdom in state governance with other countries.

The foreign delegates spoke highly of the vision of civilization advocated by President Xi, saying that the Chinese civilization is gaining new vitality. China's Belt and Road Initiative and the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind are new contributions made by the Chinese civilization to the world. Different cultures and civilizations should, on the basis of mutual respect and equality, strengthen dialogue, exchanges and mutual learning, enhance the sense of shared destiny, avoid clash of civilizations and promote common prosperity and progress of mankind.

Wang Yajun, Vice-minister of the IDCPC, presided over the dialogue.

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