A senior Chinese cultural official said here Wednesday that China sincerely hopes to have cultural exchanges and coexistence with other Asian and European countries in the 21st century.

Minister of Culture Sun Jiazheng said at the opening ceremony of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) on Cultures and Civilizations, which opened here Wednesday, that Asian and European nations have a great potential and bright future in their cultural exchanges.

China expects to establish a long-term, stable, equal and harmonious cultural relations with other Asian and European countries, and pins high hopes on it, said Sun.

Through cultural dialogues, he noted, China and other countries can increase mutual understanding, narrow differences, enhance trust, expand common ground and pursue mutual interests despite the fact that it is difficult to avoid conflicts or problems of one kind or another.

Minister Sun said China hopes that its cultural exchanges with Asian and European countries can be established on both official and non-governmental levels, and the ASEM serves a good, vital channel to this regard.

Asia and Europe, the cradles for the human civilizations, had a long-standing history in cultural exchanges. The ancient Silk Road that had once linked the east with the West contributed tremendously to the cultural exchanges between the two continents and played a unique role in the exchanges of the Oriental and Western civilizations.

Acknowledging that the role and status of culture has become increasingly more prominent in the Asia-Europe relations, Sun said a new silk road should be built for more cultural exchanges between the Asian and European countries in the new century.

"There is no conflict in the cultural area between Asia and Europe, and so the cultural exchange can be a crucial force in building a new world order," said the Chinese minister of culture.

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