Cultural tolerance key to social harmony

During his just concluded visit to Russia, President Xi Jinping once again refuted the hypothesis of "clash of civilizations", according to which people's cultural and religious identities will be the primary source of conflict in the post-Cold War era. Instead, Xi reiterated that the global trend is one of cultural inclusiveness and diversity, which he had emphasized at the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations in May.

By contrast, some US scholars have been claiming that the tensions and conflicts across the world - among people of different faiths, customs and cultures - can be attributed to "cultural conflicts" and "clash of civilizations".

Culture and nature are related. As UNESCO's Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity says, "Cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature." Cultural diversity is fundamental to humans. Diverse cultures not only make societies more robust and creative but also help humans to better cope with changes.