Shared humanity can bridge differences

In an era increasingly fractured by information bubbles, people need even more face-to-face communication to shatter preconceptions and cut the distance between hearts and minds, said Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, at the London edition of Vision China on Thursday.

Earlier this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had a phone conversation, during which Xi urged the two sides to respect and trust each other, overcome differences, seek common ground and expand mutually beneficial cooperation. Burnham expressed the UK's readiness to advance bilateral cooperation across all fields and strengthen people-to-people exchanges.

By heeding this shared vision of the two leaders and implementing their consensus, China and the UK can also encourage the wider international community to bridge differences and work together, Qu said.

"We need to open new horizons for international cooperation and development, and make greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for humanity," he added.

Recalling that it would take the first British missionaries months to reach China, Qu said that technological advances had meant that new Arctic shipping routes had reduced the sea voyage to just 20 days and the internet had made communication between China and the UK instantaneous. However, he said the distance between our hearts had not shrunk as much.

"We need people-to-people and cultural exchanges to strengthen the foundations of public support for friendship and cooperation between our two countries," he said. "That is why the theme for today's event is 'Listen to Each Other, Open New Horizons'."

Citing examples from the arts and classics in both China and the UK, Qu said that both peoples share an aspiration for truth, goodness and beauty, but that only by listening to each other can they build understanding and empathy.

Noting the increasingly concerning information bubbles created by artificial intelligence, Qu stressed the importance of meeting face-to-face, "looking at each other and seeing genuine smiles" and dismissing prejudices reinforced by information echo chambers.

Qu advocated for the creation of more opportunities to strengthen communications among young people, so as to carry forward the friendly China-UK relations which stood the test of blood and fire during World War II. Among the remarkable stories from that time were Chinese fishermen who rescued British prisoners of war from the sinking Lisbon Maru, and George Hogg, a young British educator and journalist who helped lead Chinese students to safety.

Encouragingly, communication among Generation Z is not confined to the internet. More and more young people from the UK are traveling to China as the country expands its visa-free policies. Qu said this kind of firsthand experience helps enhance mutual understanding and build partnerships for addressing the global challenges ahead.

Citing the recent film The Odyssey, in which the main character, Odysseus, and his crew work together to navigate a dangerous whirlpool, Qu said: "Today, as humanity finds itself facing what might be described as a great whirlpool of crises, the world needs to do the same."

Wang Huazhong contributed to this story.

xingyi@chinadaily.com.cn