Xi praises forum's role in progress

President writes in letter that international cultural gathering also promotes world peace, development

President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the fifth annual conference of the Taihu World Cultural Forum, which opened on Thursday in Beijing, saying that cultural exchanges and mutual learning are an important driving force for human progress and world peace and development.

Wang Chen, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice-chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, read Xi's letter at the opening ceremony of the forum, themed "Dialogues of Cultures: Building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind", at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.