The Summit Forum on “Belt and Road” Communication of Sports Civilization and Cultural Exchange kicked off at Shanxi University in Taiyuan, in North China’s Shanxi province on Dec 10, according to SXU officials.

They said the forum, sponsored by the Shanxi Provincial Sports Bureau and Shanxi University, aims to respond to the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping.

That is to promote sports civilization and Chinese culture, as well as promote sports economic and cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries.

The forum also targets making more overall progress in Shanxi province’s sports industry and cultural construction.

Liang Jiye, vice-principal of Shanxi University, delivered a speech at the forum’s opening ceremony.

He said that SXU will further explore and study the important humanistic values of the Silk Road sports civilization, to make greater a contribution to the promotion of Chinese and foreign sports cultural exchanges.

Over a six-day period, well-known academics at home and abroad will conduct academic reports on a series of important issues, officials said.

These will include the establishment of cultural self-confidence, ancient cultural exchanges on the Asian Maritime Silk Road in the Asian region, a comparative study of Chinese, Japanese and Korean martial arts and the Shanxi Silk Road -- and interpreting the sports civilization and Chinese culture for attendees.

Among the academic reports being given is a paper the on Historical and Geographical Background of the Silk Road and Shanxi given by professor Ge Jianxiong from Fudan University, as well as a report on the Onshore and Maritime Silk Roads within the World Heritage System by Liu Shuguang, former deputy director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

Liang Jiye, vice-principal of Shanxi University, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the Summit Forum on “Belt and Road” Communication of Sports Civilization and Cultural Exchange at Shanxi University, on Dec 10. [Photo/sxu.edu.cn]