At a press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO) on June 17th, Jin Xin, Vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, said that civilization exchanges serve as a bridge and bond that build consensus and deepen mutual trust, and are vital to building a more just and equitable global governance system. China will work to advance the implementation of the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), drawing on civilization dialogue to gather wisdom for tackling global challenges, and pursuing harmony among civilizations for better global governance.

On the same day, the Chinese government released a white paper titled "More Just and Equitable Global Governance: China's Principles, Proposals and Actions."Jin noted that in 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the GCI, charting the course for the progress of human civilization. Over the past three years and more, the GCI has moved from concept to practice, and civilization exchanges and mutual learning have shifted from an "optional" element to a "must-do" element of international cooperation. China has carried out work in four main areas:

First, building broad international consensus. From bilateral to multilateral and from regional to global dimensions, General Secretary Xi Jinping's "footprints of civilization" have spread all over the world, with head-of-state diplomacy driving in-depth civilization exchanges and mutual learning. His important remarks have become a signature contribution to international discourse on civilization. The international community believes the GCI will help countries jointly paint a new picture of mutual learning among civilizations and jointly write a new chapter in global governance.

Second, building a network for civilization exchanges. China supports the United Nations in serving as the main platform for civilization dialogue, and has promoted the UN General Assembly's establishment of the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations. China convened the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting, set up international platforms such as the World Conference of Classics, and promoted the participation of political parties, think tanks, youth, women and civil society organizations from various countries in civilization dialogue. A multi-level and multi-field pattern of global civilization dialogue and exchange is gradually taking shape.

Third, strengthening cultural inheritance and innovation. China has actively promoted the protection of cultural heritage and the development of cultural undertakings, signed cooperation agreements with over 100 countries, and deepened cooperation in joint archaeological projects, world heritage protection and mutual translation of classic works, both enriching its own civilizational roots and jointly safeguarding the cultural treasures of all humanity.

Fourth, promoting deeper mutual understanding among peoples. China has carried out international people-to-people exchanges in diverse forms, with fruitful cooperation in education, science and technology, health, sports and other fields, and a wide range of people-to-people cooperation programs such as cultural years, tourism years and arts festivals. China has also continued to facilitate two-way movement of Chinese and foreign personnel, achieving a dual flow of civilization exchanges and culture-and-tourism economy.

Jin said that China will actively support the building of UN mechanisms for civilization exchanges and firmly uphold the authority and central role of the United Nations in global governance. China will actively promote the integration of cultural exchanges with the global governance agenda, give full play to the value-guiding role of global civilization initiatives, and contribute the power of civilization to reforming and improving global governance.