Within the framework of the Global Civilization Initiative, intercultural dialogue, from China’s perspective, is considered a solution for transforming civilizational differences into opportunities for cooperation and shared development.
The Global Civilization Initiative is one of China’s global initiatives within the framework of building a community with a shared future for mankind, which, following the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, was first proposed by President Xi Jinping on March 15, 2023, during a high-level dialogue between the Communist Party of China and political parties worldwide.
This initiative gradually took shape through various speeches by President Xi and was officially introduced in 2023. This process began in March 2013 at the First Session of the 12th National People’s Congress, with an elaboration on the role of Chinese civilization in human progress. It continued in March 2014 with an emphasis on civilizational diversity and equality at UNESCO, which became the basis for the first pillar, ‘Respect for the Diversity of Civilizations’. In September 2015, President Xi Jinping introduced shared human values at the United Nations, which formed the foundation of the second pillar. In January 2017, he emphasized mutual learning among civilizations, and in May 2019, the concepts of heritage protection and innovation were put forward, forming the last two pillars: ‘Valuing Civilizational Heritage and Innovation’ and ‘Strengthening International Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges and Cooperation’.
In October 2022, the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China issued a call to ‘respect the diversity of civilizations, overcome civilizational estrangement through exchange, overcome civilizational clashes through mutual learning, and overcome civilizational superiority through coexistence,’ which laid the groundwork for the Global Civilization Initiative. Finally, in March 2023, the Global Civilization Initiative was officially announced with four fundamental pillars: jointly advocating respect for the diversity of world civilizations, jointly advocating the promotion of common values of humanity, jointly advocating the importance of civilizational heritage and innovation, and jointly advocating the strengthening of international cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation – were officially announced.
Importance of the Global Civilization Initiative
The Global Civilization Initiative, as a novel approach in international relations, holds special significance in shaping the future global order. Below, the importance of this initiative will be discussed in two fundamental areas.
- Presenting a Civilizational Perspective Distinct from the Western Model
The Global Civilization Initiative adopts an entirely different approach from the Western civilizational perspective, and the difference between this initiative’s civilizational view and that of the West can be examined from two angles. First, the Global Civilization Initiative goes beyond the theory of the clash of civilizations. The theory of the clash of civilizations posits that cultural clashes and conflicts among different countries are inevitable due to significant differences in geographical location and cultural origin. By unilaterally exaggerating the impact of cultural differences, this theory exacerbates distance and misunderstanding between civilizations, leads to confrontation and tension, reduces the possibility of interaction and exchange among civilizations, and limits the development of civilizational diversity. The Global Civilization Initiative promotes an equal and inclusive view of civilizational differences and rejects confrontation and conflict based on these differences. It also criticizes attempts to transform a world with diverse civilizations into a single civilization or to classify civilizations. By emphasizing respect for the diversity of civilizations and adopting an inclusive and open mindset, it encourages countries to learn from the achievements of other civilizations, thereby realizing the shared development and progress of global civilizations through mutual exchanges and learning.
Second, the Global Civilization Initiative counters cultural nihilism. Having achieved modernization and completed social transformation early, the West has continuously exported its ideology to developing countries. With the widespread influx of Western culture and the immediate eagerness of some developing countries to achieve modernization, these countries have gradually lost confidence in their traditional cultures, developed a negative attitude towards them, and turned to fully embracing Western culture, which ultimately led to the emergence of cultural nihilism in these countries. The Global Civilization Initiative adopts an approach of ‘preserving one’s own identity while inclusively absorbing the strengths of others’. This approach, on the one hand, requires a deep understanding of national cultural traditions and the discovery of their inherent values, and on the other hand, emphasizes the open and inclusive acceptance of outstanding achievements from other civilizations to strengthen one’s own capabilities. It not only boosts the cultural self-confidence of nations but also helps preserve civilizational diversity in the world.
- Contributing to the Advancement of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind
The importance of the Global Civilization Initiative in advancing a community with a shared future for mankind can be identified in four areas: First, the Global Civilization Initiative, as a civilizational idea with a global perspective, is not limited to a specific country or region. Rooted in the common well-being of all humanity, its goal is to achieve a more harmonious global order in which the interests of all countries and nations are fairly reflected. Second, this idea supports an open and inclusive approach and opposes the formation of any closed or exclusive groupings. In the face of complex and changing global challenges, the Global Civilization Initiative calls on all countries and regions to cooperate, engage in dialogue and exchange views based on mutual respect and learning, find common ground, and resolve differences peacefully. Third, the Global Civilization Initiative seeks a win-win situation, where all participating members can benefit, rather than being limited to a few major powers seeking hegemony. Through cultural exchanges and economic cooperation, it aims to maximize the convergence effect so that collective interests outweigh those gained from individual actions.
Fourth, the Global Civilization Initiative helps create a world of shared prosperity built upon common human values. In the past, each country equated common interests solely with its national interests, but today, with the advancement of global communications, countries have become increasingly interdependent, and the concept of common interests has transcended national boundaries to become a matter of human civilization’s survival. Since countries have different aspirations and perspectives, they may disagree on common interests and lean towards unilateralism, which hinders human progress. For this reason, the Global Civilization Initiative defines common interests based on common human values and emphasizes that common interests must include the interests of all countries, as securing the interests of each country means realizing the interests of all humanity. This approach strengthens countries’ sense of international responsibility and helps resolve issues of global interest distribution to build a world of universal prosperity.
Pillars of the Global Civilization Initiative
The Global Civilization Initiative is built upon a set of fundamental pillars, each playing a crucial role in advancing coexistence, interaction, and shared development among civilizations.
- Jointly Advocating Respect for the Diversity of World Civilizations
The diversity of civilizations is a fundamental characteristic of human society. Different countries and regions have formed various types of civilizations due to their distinct geographical environments, histories, and cultures. Civilizational differences are thus inevitable in human society; therefore, seeking harmony and compatibility within these differences, rather than eliminating them, is considered the correct approach to civilizational differences. In today’s world, where communication between countries and regions is increasingly growing, effective exchanges between different civilizations are only possible with the prerequisite of accepting and respecting civilizational diversity. This helps advance the development of partners in a community with a shared future for humanity; it is precisely because of the diversity of civilizations that learning and exchanges among them become possible.
This pillar is based on four fundamental principles: First, emphasizing the equality of civilizations. Equality is a prerequisite and the basis for preserving the diversity of civilizations. The essence of equality lies in the coexistence of civilizations. Civilizations have their unique characteristics in worldview, customs, structure, and culture, and through long-term inter-civilizational interactions and trans-civilizational contacts, pluralistic coexistence and flourishing synergy are realized. In other words, adhering to the view of civilizational equality means rationally dealing with the differences between one’s own civilization and others, understanding that the civilization of every country and nation is unique, and that the achievements of all civilizations are respectable and valuable. Civilizational equality also emphasizes seeking common ground while preserving differences, drawing on each other’s strengths, and avoiding clashes or belittling other civilizations. Second, emphasizing exchanges among civilizations. The continuity, development, and innovation of civilizations require mutual exchange and learning. Preserving civilizational diversity requires strengthening interactions, mutual learning, and drawing on each other’s strengths, not isolation, exclusion, or replacement of one another.
The third principle is emphasizing dialogue among civilizations. Dialogue is a rational way to reduce and resolve conflicts and disputes among different civilizations, thereby advancing the development of human civilization. Dialogue among civilizations particularly emphasizes the equal standing of different civilizations. Adhering to dialogue and communication based on equality helps remove doubts, reduce barriers and misunderstandings, and prevent conflict and confrontation. Therefore, dialogue among civilizations across different cultures, religions, countries, and regions should be considered the most fundamental and important path to address the challenges facing human society. The fourth principle emphasizes tolerance. Tolerance is the core of preserving the diversity of human civilization. In the 21st century, all countries, regardless of their history, culture, and political system, must live together peacefully without prejudice or arrogance, respect each other, and engage in mutual learning. Especially in this turbulent era of change, diverse civilizations must increasingly adhere to the principle of tolerance and, through adaptation and coexistence, collectively provide the spiritual impetus for human development. Human history tells us that the attempt to create a unified world under a single civilization is nothing more than an unrealistic fantasy. Therefore, the diversity of civilizations must be respected based on equality, mutual learning, tolerance, and dialogue among civilizations.
Jointly Advocating
the Promotion of Common Values of Humanity
Common human values bestow core and clear values upon human civilization; they are guiding values that steer the people of all countries towards the development of human civilization and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom are common human values on which peoples of different ethnicities, religions, cultures, and regions agree, and they are considered the aspirations of people in all countries worldwide. At the same time, common human values emphasize that, with broad-mindedness, the different understandings that various civilizations have of the concepts of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom must be accepted. This perspective emphasizes mutual understanding and respect among different civilizations and opposes imposing one’s own values and models on others and ideological confrontation.
This pillar of the Global Civilization Initiative emphasizes respect for the right of people in each country to choose their own development path and system, as well as respect for the perceptual differences of various civilizations regarding the concepts of values and their realization paths. Whether a country’s chosen development path or system is appropriate should be evaluated by its own people; there is no single model for systems in the world, and no development model is universally applicable. Therefore, countries with different social systems and ideologies should seek common ground and accept differences, rather than pursuing homogenization.
- Jointly Advocating the Importance of Civilizational Heritage and Innovation
Civilizational heritage is the foundation of innovation in civilization. How to approach a country’s history and its traditional culture is a fundamental issue that every country and nation must properly address on the path to modern development. Civilization is a product of history, and this determines that the progress and development of civilization must inevitably be based on the traditions of indigenous culture. In other words, traditional culture is the foundation for the continuity and development of a country and a nation, and it also serves as the spiritual lifeblood of their efforts and innovations. If traditions are abandoned and valuable traditional culture is forsaken, the connection to this lifeblood will be severed.
One must always draw upon the heritage of the past to serve the present and use historical experiences as a guiding light for the future. In this regard, a critical and selective approach to civilizational heritage should be adopted, meaning that positive and constructive aspects should be preserved, while negative and hindering aspects should be discarded, rather than glorifying the past and disparaging the contemporary, or judging contemporary times by historical standards. Efforts must be made to achieve the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional culture so that it aligns with contemporary culture and jointly serves the current era’s task of human cultural education.
Jointly Advocating the Strengthening of
International Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges and Cooperation
Cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation are the foundation for mutual learning among civilizations and a practical solution for realizing the Global Civilization Initiative. By deepening cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation among countries, and realizing mutual learning among different civilizations, civilizational barriers and cultural misunderstandings among nations and countries can be eliminated, empathy among people of various countries and regions can be strengthened, and mutual understanding, rapprochement, and shared development among them can be promoted. In this regard, countries should jointly explore mechanisms for establishing a network of inter-civilizational cooperation and dialogue, enrich the content of cultural and people-to-people exchanges, expand channels for cultural and people-to-people cooperation, thereby contributing to the development and progress of human civilization. For example, establishing mechanisms for high-level cultural and people-to-people exchanges, creating a network of exchanges and cooperation among think tanks, student exchanges, mutual translation of cultural, literary, and artistic works, international cooperation in cultural heritage protection, media cooperation, and so on, are among the practical measures to strengthen cultural and people-to-people cooperation and exchanges.
Conclusion
The Global Civilization Initiative, introduced by China in 2023, is a novel and inclusive approach to civilizational diversity and cultural interactions among countries. This initiative particularly emphasizes respect for the diversity of civilizations, the promotion of common human values, the importance of civilizational heritage and innovation, and the strengthening of cultural and people-to-people cooperation. Unlike previous theories such as the clash of civilizations, which emphasized conflict and confrontation among civilizations, the Global Civilization Initiative seeks to strengthen peaceful coexistence and positive cultural exchanges. This perspective enables different countries to benefit from each other’s achievements while preserving their own cultural identities. Beyond advancing a community with a shared future for mankind, this initiative also aims to create a new global order that fairly reflects the interests of all countries and nations. Therefore, this initiative can help solve complex global problems such as climate change, economic inequality, and humanitarian crises. Especially by strengthening dialogue and cultural exchanges, countries will be able to perceive differences not as obstacles to cooperation, but as opportunities for shared development.