Xi's emphasis on cultural exchange widely embraced

Scholars, analysts say president's vision crucial to global harmony, understanding

President Xi Jinping has emphasized on many occasions the importance of promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning between different civilizations, and analysts and scholars said this is more important than ever, given the rising geopolitical tensions around the world.

Xi has previously said that exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations play a key role in advancing human civilization as well as world peace and development.

"Civilizations have come in different colors, and such diversity has made exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations relevant and valuable," Xi said in a speech at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, in March 2014.

Lawrence Loh, director of National University of Singapore's Centre for Governance and Sustainability, said, "Promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations is the critical foundation of understanding between civilizations."

Loh said he believes that such understanding will prevent the escalation of geopolitical tensions or even the start of hostilities.

"Civilizations have historical heritages that are honed over time — they should come together and not clash by ideology. If we can resolve the civilizational divide, the world will certainly be a harmonious place for all nations," Loh said. "President Xi's articulation has indeed placed the right emphasis on the importance of mutual learning between different civilizations."

Loh said that Chinese and Western cultures have their own uniqueness and distinctive points that are worthwhile for other cultures to learn.

"For example, the West can learn from the Chinese culture on the balancing of individual and social interests as well as responsibilities.... Chinese culture may observe the merits of personal creativity and articulation from Western culture. With the exchange of learning, both cultures will make advancements for the betterment of all," he said.

H-J Colston-Inge, director at Engage with China, an educational charity that aims to build greater understanding of China's cultural and historical context among young people in the United Kingdom, said: "I am a firm believer that geopolitics need not stand in the way of cross-cultural exchange. Indeed, I think keeping doors open for dialogue through this channel becomes increasingly important at such a time."

Colston-Inge was invited to meet with Xi during his state visit to the UK in 2015 in recognition of her work in helping promote China-UK relations.

"By being open to new ideas, philosophies, learning opportunities, we can open our eyes to the world around us," she said. "This is what education is for — not to be spoon-fed, but to allow experiences to shape us and make us ask questions about the status quo."

Jenny Clegg, vice-president of the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding, said: "Obviously, the more people-to-people exchange there is, the better. It can open minds to differences as well as find and share similarities. The impetus to seek international understanding is a powerful force for peace.

"When negative views prevail, as they do now, and state-to-state relations are deteriorating, people-to-people relations are needed more than ever. Those hostile toward China in the West exploit people's ignorance of even the most basic facts about the country. In such an environment, cultivating a positive interest in such exchanges, let alone raising this to the level of a better understanding, is an uphill struggle," she added.

Clegg said she finds validity and usefulness in Western as well as Chinese approaches. "The approach of Western science tends to isolate a phenomenon from its environment so as to study its properties free from other influences. …The Chinese approach is rather to look at the interconnectedness of phenomena to gain a comprehensive understanding of the condition of change overall. The two are quite different but should be treated as complementary in finding ways to improve our world," she said.

There is no perfect civilization in the world, Xi has said, and neither is there a civilization that is devoid of merit. "No one civilization can be judged superior to another. Every civilization is unique. Copying other civilizations mechanically or blindly is like cutting one's toes just to fit his shoes, which is not only impossible but also highly detrimental. All achievements of civilizations deserve our respect and must be treasured," the president said in his speech at the UNESCO headquarters in 2014.

Stephen Perry, chairman of the 48 Group Club, a business network that promotes trade and cultural links between the UK and China, said: "President Xi is right. … He sees the right outcomes and wants peaceful transition, but some want to keep without conceding and some want to take without conceding. Simple sensible ideas and logic are not enough when powerful weapons exist. There is still a major thought that we (the West) can win and that needs to change."

Perry said the West wants to continue to lead using developed ways, but the developing nations want a different set of ways that share power and wealth more fairly.

"The core of the problem is some have more wealth and feel threatened by those who have a different approach," he said. "We need to understand the real differences and protect both sides whilst working for a fairer distribution of power and wealth. That should be done by adding new wealth, not taking wealth from those with more."

Perry said Xi's ideas on civilization should be welcomed in the West as a basis for joint studies on how to advance these new ideas, adding that "in the end, civilizations will be the core, and they will have to learn to change and compromise and adapt".

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