Highlights from Inter-Civilizational Communication and Global Development Forum

China’s National Academy of Governance is hosting the Inter-Civilizational Communication and Global Development Forum, which began on Tuesday. The three-day event, gathering some 150 representatives from 30 countries, is discussing the essence of exchanges between civilizations.

Here are some key quotes from the representatives:

“No matter where you come from, no matter what civilization you represent, no matter what beliefs you hold, we all need to return to the responsibility, conscience, rationality and sincerity of human beings. We need to draw wisdom from different civilizations, to face the global crisis brought by regional conflicts, climate change, food security, and decoupling,” said Li Wentang, vice president of China National Academy of Governance.

“There is no fixed model for the road to modernization, the one that suits is the best. However, for a long time, modernization seemed to be Westernized. It seemed that we had to follow the path of Western developed countries to achieve modernization. The Communist Party of China adheres to independence and unswervingly follows its own path. On the basis of adhering to its own ideas, values and basic systems, it absorbs the common achievements of human civilization created by other countries and regions, including Western countries,” said Xie Chuntao, executive vice president of the China National Academy of Governance.

“In our era, the movement of globalization is a driver not only for the materials produced by the internationalization of the economies, but also a driver to facilitate dialogue, search for consensus, about social and climate needs, respect for different forms of political systems and civilizations, and understanding world civilizations,” said President of the New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff.

“We are fully aware of the abomination of hegemony, and we know the preciousness of peace. Therefore, we must safeguard China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and achieve national development and modernization in a peaceful and civilized manner. No matter how China develops, China will never seek hegemony, expansion, or spheres of influence. China’s commitment has been proved by history and it will continue to be proven,” said Zheng Bijian, founding chairman of the China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy.

“As of now, the English language dominates the global communication channels. For many of those in the world who must be a part of a dialogue of civilizations, if you don’t speak English, you are almost entirely absent from the English language global communication channels. The Chinese are the perfect example of this, even though the Chinese government and the best Chinese thinkers publish many high-quality papers, speeches, and thought pieces, almost none of them appear in the English language communication channels. This must change, otherwise, we do not have a dialogue. We have a monologue,” said John Thornton, chair emeritus of the Brookings Institution.