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President Xi Jinping said on Thursday 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.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the statement in a congratulatory letter to the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting, which opened in Beijing on Thursday.

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

He expressed China's readiness to work with other countries in building a global network for dialogue and cooperation among civilizations.

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

Xi also expressed the hope that the participants would take part in in-depth exchanges to build consensus and contribute their wisdom and strength to the goal of promoting understanding and friendship among peoples, and achieving harmonious coexistence among civilizations.

Themed "Safeguarding Diversity of Human Civilizations for World Peace and Development", the two-day meeting, co-hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, has attracted over 600 guests from 140 countries and regions.

In a keynote speech delivered at the opening ceremony of the meeting, Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, emphasized that as the world is undergoing changes unseen in a century, the voices of people around the world seeking peace, development and cooperation are becoming louder.

However, the rhetoric of "cultural estrangement", "cultural conflict", and "cultural superiority" occasionally resurface, underscoring the continued challenges in safeguarding cultural diversity and promoting global peace and development, said Cai, who is also a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee.

"Standing at a new historical crossroads, we must collectively explore diversified development paths, and continuously enrich the forms of human civilizations," he said.

He underlined the need for countries to jointly strengthen cultural inheritance and innovation, and actively promote the protection of cultural heritage and the development of cultural undertakings.

It is important to enhance cultural exchanges among countries to create a harmonious atmosphere of mutual learning and coexistence, Cai said.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a congratulatory message to the meeting, underlining the significance of dialogue in promoting peace and development.

Noting that cultural diversity is a powerful force driving mutual understanding and global unity, he called on countries around the world to join hands to resolve hatred with love, transcend differences through dialogue, and collectively build a diverse, harmonious, mutually supportive human family where everyone equally enjoys dignity and rights.

Foreign participants in the event hailed the GCI, which was proposed by Xi in 2023, saying that the initiative is greatly relevant in addressing global challenges in the current complex international landscape.

Megawati Soekarnoputri, general chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and former Indonesian president, said that the GCI makes a significant contribution to achieving a more equitable, inclusive and harmonious world.

Nangolo Mbumba, former president of Namibia, said that the GCI helps promote understanding and friendship among peoples and jointly advances the development and progress of human civilization.

Former Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama said that the Ukraine crisis and the Palestine-Israel conflict have led to innocent people being killed in the warfare, and these tragedies have brought into focus the importance of the GCI.

By transcending hegemonic logic and acknowledging cultural diversity, China injects sustainable strength into global governance and plays a pivotal role in promoting world peace and development, he added.

Speaking at the plenary session of the meeting, Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said that China has always actively promoted dialogue among civilizations, and will continue to take more concrete steps to do so.