BEIJING, July 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- "I remember we were in a village in China for dinner recently. At the restaurant, the waiter could not speak English but we immediately found a young Chinese lady who helped us. And we ended up eating together, Chinese people, an Egyptian, my colleague from Switzerland, and people from other countries. How beautiful is this," Maged Refaat Aboulmagd, an ambassadorial member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, told the Global Times.

"We took a photo and started laughing, then she chose food for us. It was pleasant, simple, and dignified," said Refaat. "She is like most Chinese people we've met in China… always smiling and willing to communicate. There is absolutely no barrier."

Refaat was one of the guests invited to China to the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting. Themed "Safeguarding Diversity of Human Civilizations for World Peace and Development," the two-day event, which kicked off on Thursday, attracted over 600 attendees from 140 countries and regions.

Before Thursday's meeting, international guests toured cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, Qufu, and Dunhuang to gain firsthand insight into the Chinese society. 

When he was visiting Shanghai, Gabriel Fischer, European Affairs Advisor to the Chairman of Voice-Social Democracy of Slovak and representative of the Slovak National Council to the European Union, said he not only visited the historical heritage parts of the city, but also the futuristic parts in the city's business center complete with skyscrapers. 

Taking his trip to China as an example, Fischer recalled some biased reports on China by European media outlets. "It is absolutely crucial to see it with your own eyes, by coming into the country, experiencing the culture, and meeting with the people… We cannot influence the media's representation of other countries, but we can enrich our experiences further by traveling and seeing other cultures. That's why I would recommend visiting China to anyone to gain inspiration and return home more knowledgeable."

A platform for exchange 

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China is ready to work with other countries in building a global network for dialogue and cooperation among civilizations, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the statement in a congratulatory letter to the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting.

He pledged that China will work with other countries to champion equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations, and implement the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), in a bid to provide fresh impetus for advancing human civilizations and promoting world peace and development.

"The world is, in nature, a place of diverse civilizations," Xi said in the letter. "History has shown us that exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations are essential for civilizations to flourish and human progress to be made." 

President Xi put forward the GCI in March 2023, following the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative.

The initiative, as Xi pointed out in his speech, 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.

When talking about the significance of this conference to a world that is mired in conflicts, Fischer said, "I personally think that the reason of conflicts is usually the misunderstanding among civilizations, the misunderstanding of each other's culture, and this meeting can provide us with the opportunity to learn from each other."

Refaat said that a few days ago he took the bullet train to visit a place where science and innovation have been used in farming. He said he saw how the farmers learn to use machinery, automation technologies, and intelligent systems, to improve production efficiency, reduce labor intensity, and significantly enhance agricultural productivity.

"It was truly fascinating!" Refaat hailed. He said agro-industry is exactly what Egypt needs. 

At one of the sub-forums of the meeting, China's Olympic champion in swimming, Pan Zhanle, shared a story between him and his strong competitor, Romania's star swimmer David Popovici. He said that Popovici's perseverance and determination have been a constant source of inspiration for him.

At parallel sub-forums on Friday, participants actively participated in discussions on the crucial role of inter-civilization exchange and mutual learning in building an inclusive world, and in promoting global development and prosperity, cultural inheritance and innovation.

David Ferguson, honorary chief English editor of the Foreign Languages Press, and a participant at the meeting, told the Global Times that the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Civilizations Dialogue reflects a broader strategy aimed at replacing conflict with dialogue, underscoring China's serious commitment to fostering global understanding and cooperation.

Raphael Tuju, a former Kenyan Cabinet Secretary, told the Global Times that true civilization rests on "the ability to share, live together, and respect each other," and expressed his hope that China would initiate more soft-power connections, including people-to-people exchanges, education, and cultural programs.

Building bridges

During the parallel sub-forums on Friday, Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said that China promotes people-to-people exchanges through the country's commitment to openness and inclusiveness. 

"Traveling in China" and "Shopping in China" have become increasingly popular, said Liu, also giving the example of Black Myth: Wukong, Ne Zha, and Labubu, which have gained widespread popularity among young people around the world.

"I'd originally planned to bring some Labubu toys for everyone, but they were completely sold out. If anyone manages to find one, please help me buy one," Liu joked.

Since the launch of the GCI, China has actively built platforms for international cultural exchange and cooperation, establishing a global network for dialogue among civilizations and effectively promoting mutual understanding and learning among diverse cultures, Zhang Yiwu, a professor of cultural studies at Peking University, told the Global Times.

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.

Many countries, especially those in the Global South, have responded positively and warmly to China's GCI. This demonstrates that, even as the world stands at a crossroads, the forces that cherish peace and seek mutual learning among civilizations remain the mainstream of the international community, said Zhang.

At the "Story Sharing" segment of the opening session on Thursday, Kenyan student Jamlick Mwangi Kariuki from the Beijing Jiaotong University shared his story. He said that two years ago, he and 40 other Kenyan students wrote a letter to President Xi for the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). 

Thanks to the "Belt and Road" International Talent Joint-training Program, Kariuki and 100 other Kenyan youth got the opportunity to study in Beijing. 

After graduation, he joined the Chinese-built Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project and became a railway engineer. 

In 2023, he returned to Beijing Jiaotong University for further study, hoping to further deepen his railway technology expertise and help the rail transit in his home country achieve better development. After widely soliciting the ideas of other Kenyan students and alumni representatives, Kariuki took the lead in drafting a letter to President Xi, and attached a train ticket of SGR as a gift in the letter.

Kariuki said that the railway passes through the largest wildlife reserve in Kenya. 

Sitting on the fast-moving train, one can see animals such as elephants and zebras freely passing by along the way, thanks to the joint efforts of Kenyan and Chinese experts. 

"Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," Kariuki said solemnly in Chinese.

Ranko Ostoji from the Social Democratic Party of Croatia shared the story of a bridge with the Global Times. When touring near Nanpu Bridge in Shanghai last week before the meeting, Ostoji recalled the Peljesac Bridge, constructed by a Chinese consortium led by the China Road and Bridge Corporation in southern Croatia. Ostoji said Peljesac Bridge is now one of the most beautiful bridges in Croatia. 

"I believe that (Peljesac Bridge) won't be the last bridge between us," Ostoji said.

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SOURCE Global Times