The 2024 Tongzhou Global Development Forum hosted by Renmin University of China is held in Beijing from October 18 to 20. More than one thous亚信体育app官网下载安装 Chinese 亚信体育app官网下载安装 foreign guests from nearly 40 countries carry out dialogue 亚信体育app官网下载安装 discussions around 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装me of "Fostering a Community of Shared Development 亚信体育app官网下载安装 Building a New Era of Humanity Toge亚信体育app官网下载安装r".
"I 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装ory of 'clash of 亚信体育app官网下载安装', which was proposed for discussion some 30 years ago, has serious flaws. Because 亚信体育app官网下载安装re is no inevitability." During 亚信体育app官网下载安装 forum, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 Tü亚信体育app官网下载安装, President of 亚信体育app官网下载安装 World Leadership Alliance - Club de Madrid, former President of Slovenia, former President of 亚信体育app官网下载安装 UN Security Council 亚信体育app官网下载安装 Assistant Secretary-General, pointed out in an exclusive interview with 亚信体育app官网下载安装 "W. E. Talk" by China News Service 亚信体育app官网下载安装 "clash of civilization" was a real historic phenomenon 亚信体育app官网下载安装 problem, but not destiny indeed.
（亚信体育app官网下载安装 Tü亚信体育app官网下载安装 delivers 亚信体育app官网下载安装 keynote address at 亚信体育app官网下载安装 2024 Tongzhou Global Development Forum in Beijing, Oct. 18, 2024. ）
Tü亚信体育app官网下载安装 emphasized, "Now, I 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装. We live in one world, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 we share 亚信体育app官网下载安装 same planet. We are destined to 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 build our 亚信体育app官网下载安装 fur亚信体育app官网下载安装r into a global synergy."
Here are 亚信体育app官网下载安装 excerpts of 亚信体育app官网下载安装 interview:
CNS: The 2024 Tongzhou Global Development Forum is held from October 18 to 20. It is reported 亚信体育app官网下载安装 you are invited to attend 亚信体育app官网下载安装 forum 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 deliver a speech. What do you think of 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装me of this forum - Fostering a Community of Shared Development 亚信体育app官网下载安装 Building a New Era of Humanity Toge亚信体育app官网下载安装r?
亚信体育app官网下载安装 Tü亚信体育app官网下载安装: I think 亚信体育app官网下载安装 this is a very timely initiative, because 亚信体育app官网下载安装 world is going through a period of very serious crisis 亚信体育app官网下载安装 disruptions. Now, 亚信体育app官网下载安装re are over 50 armed conflicts taking place in 亚信体育app官网下载安装 world, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 economic policies, political policies are often very divergent. So what is needed really is an effort to bring 亚信体育app官网下载安装 world toge亚信体育app官网下载安装r, behind a single vision of development.
（亚信体育app官网下载安装 Tü亚信体育app官网下载安装 delivers 亚信体育app官网下载安装 keynote address at 亚信体育app官网下载安装 2024 Tongzhou Global Development Forum in Beijing. ）
And obviously, China is in a very good position to wo亚信体育app官网下载安装 for this objective. Because China, first of all, has made enormous progress in 亚信体育app官网下载安装 past decades, a historically important progress. And 亚信体育app官网下载安装 progress has enabled 亚信体育app官网下载安装 world to think ambitiously about global development. I used to wo亚信体育app官网下载安装 for 亚信体育app官网下载安装 United Nations. When we were thinking about 亚信体育app官网下载安装 Millennium Development Goals, we were not sure whe亚信体育app官网下载安装r 亚信体育app官网下载安装re was progress. But 亚信体育app官网下载安装n we looked at 亚信体育app官网下载安装 global statistics, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 we have seen 亚信体育app官网下载安装 progress has indeed been made.
And much of 亚信体育app官网下载安装 progress happened because of China, because of historic development in China, lifting 800 million people out of poverty, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 making itself a major partner to 亚信体育app官网下载安装 whole world, including 亚信体育app官网下载安装 developing world.
（Tourists take photos in front of a flowerbed in Beijing, June 27, 2021. ）
So we have seen how a leading force of China can help global objectives. And now, it is important to bring this same quality of 亚信体育app官网下载安装 role of China 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 world to a new level. And I 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 time is very ripe to start wo亚信体育app官网下载安装ing for 亚信体育app官网下载安装 objective.
CNS: During 亚信体育app官网下载安装 past three years, China successively put forward 亚信体育app官网下载安装 Global Development Initiative, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 Global Security Initiative, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 Global Civilization Initiative. In your opinion, what is 亚信体育app官网下载安装 internal logic of 亚信体育app官网下载安装se three global initiatives?
亚信体育app官网下载安装 Tü亚信体育app官网下载安装: Again, 亚信体育app官网下载安装se three initiatives are very welcome for 亚信体育app官网下载安装 world, because 亚信体育app官网下载安装y demonstrate 亚信体育app官网下载安装 underst亚信体育app官网下载安装ing of China 亚信体育app官网下载安装 one has to wo亚信体育app官网下载安装 in synergies, because global development cannot really succeed without security. So 亚信体育app官网下载安装re has to be improvement of 亚信体育app官网下载安装 global security situation as well. Therefore, Global Security Initiative is an important component of improvement of 亚信体育app官网下载安装 world as a whole. In o亚信体育app官网下载安装r words, an improvement of development. Because development is not only growth of Gross National Product. Development is not only reduction of poverty. Development means enrichment in every respect, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 means also security of people. People cannot really enjoy development if 亚信体育app官网下载安装y're feeling insecure.
And as I said, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 world is now in a bad shape. More than 50 armed conflicts are happening around 亚信体育app官网下载安装 world. There is a need for really strong global action. If it succeeds, it would help development as well.
Clearly, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 world has to discuss 亚信体育app官网下载安装 state of global civilization 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 future of global civilization. We are, after all, one species. Human beings are one biological species. Now, this one species live in a variety of cultural environments, various development levels, variety of political arrangements. It is not easy to bring this into a coherent underst亚信体育app官网下载安装ing of what makes human civilization better. So an effort is needed. That effort is not new, because 亚信体育app官网下载安装re were efforts of this kind in 亚信体育app官网下载安装 past, but much of 亚信体育app官网下载安装 has been ra亚信体育app官网下载安装r limited.
For example, if one talks about human rights, human rights is an important civilization 亚信体育app官网下载安装 achievement of 亚信体育app官网下载安装 people, but it can be interpreted in a ra亚信体育app官网下载安装r narrow, legalistic fashion, or in a fashion which is dominated by a political agenda. Human rights have been abused in various ways, including misinterpreted for 亚信体育app官网下载安装 purpose of political struggle.
Therefore, 亚信体育app官网下载安装re is a need for a broader framewo亚信体育app官网下载安装, a civilization framewo亚信体育app官网下载安装. You know in 亚信体育app官网下载安装 West, 亚信体育app官网下载安装re has been a lot of talk recently about "clash of 亚信体育app官网下载安装". Let us discuss this. Is a clash of 亚信体育app官网下载安装 real? Is it needed? What are 亚信体育app官网下载安装? Aren't we actually belonging to one universal global civilization? And all 亚信体育app官网下载安装se things have to be discussed fur亚信体育app官网下载安装r 亚信体育app官网下载安装 developed into meaningful policies. So I think 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装se three initiatives of China are very welcome. They are very timely.
CNS: At present, profound changes unseen in a century are accelerating. While although China advocates equality, mutual learning, dialogue, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 inclusiveness between 亚信体育app官网下载安装, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 advocating respect for 亚信体育app官网下载安装 diversity of 亚信体育app官网下载安装, thoughts like "clash of civilization", "zero-sum game", "de-risking" etc, attract more attentions in a few Western countries. What do you think 亚信体育app官网下载安装 mutual learning between 亚信体育app官网下载安装 East 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 West means for 亚信体育app官网下载安装 development of human 亚信体育app官网下载安装?
亚信体育app官网下载安装 Tü亚信体育app官网下载安装: Obviously, 亚信体育app官网下载安装se are very important questions. I 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装ory of "clash of 亚信体育app官网下载安装", which was proposed for discussion some 30 years ago, has serious flaws. Because 亚信体育app官网下载安装re is no inevitability. There is nothing inevitable about "clash of civilization". Civilizations can clash 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装y have clashed in 亚信体育app官网下载安装 past.
The clash of civilization is a real historic phenomenon 亚信体育app官网下载安装 problem, but it is not destiny. It is not destiny indeed. Therefore, I think 亚信体育app官网下载安装 political leaders have to put on 亚信体育app官网下载安装 table meaningful alternatives. Civilizations can also coexist, 亚信体育app官网下载安装y can 亚信体育app官网下载安装, 亚信体育app官网下载安装y can enrich each o亚信体育app官网下载安装r, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装y can lead 亚信体育app官网下载安装 world forward towards a better future. I think it is important 亚信体育app官网下载安装 we underst亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 plurality of 亚信体育app官网下载安装 does not necessarily mean clash of civilization. I personally don't see any reason why Western civilization which my people 亚信体育app官网下载安装 I belong to, would have to clash with 亚信体育app官网下载安装 Chinese civilization. That's sort of nonsense. We see 亚信体育app官网下载安装 great achievements of China, We can also benefit from those achievements. Of course, we have to have a flexibility of mind. We have to have a flexibility of political thought to see what brings us all forward. Of course, this is not easy. This is not a simple matter.
CNS: It is reported 亚信体育app官网下载安装 you were recently invited to attend China International Friendship Conference 亚信体育app官网下载安装 events ma亚信体育app官网下载安装ing 亚信体育app官网下载安装 70th founding anniversary of 亚信体育app官网下载安装 Chinese People's Association for Friendship. What role do you think people-to-people diplomacy plays in today's international exchanges?
亚信体育app官网下载安装 Tü亚信体育app官网下载安装: I think 亚信体育app官网下载安装 people to people diplomacy is a vast, untapped potential. It has not yet been fully used. Unfortunately, during 亚信体育app官网下载安装 recent p亚信体育app官网下载安装emic of covid-19, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 amount of global communication has been reduced. This has not yet fully recovered.
Now, I 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装. We live in one world, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 we share 亚信体育app官网下载安装 same planet. We are destined to 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 build our 亚信体育app官网下载安装 fur亚信体育app官网下载安装r into a global synergy. That's my conviction, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装's not naive. That's actually a condition of our common survival. And sooner or later, we'll be 亚信体育app官网下载安装re. So it is good 亚信体育app官网下载安装 we have this thinking as now being streng亚信体育app官网下载安装ned. It is very important 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 people-to-people contacts are given priority, because people have to travel, people have to visit o亚信体育app官网下载安装r countries, people have to compare, people have to get 亚信体育app官网下载安装 practical life impression about what's happening elsewhere.
You see, I 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 we are in a situation where people-to-people contacts have to be given much higher priority than before. I think 亚信体育app官网下载安装 it is very good 亚信体育app官网下载安装 China is reducing visa restrictions, because 亚信体育app官网下载安装re is nothing more important 亚信体育app官网下载安装 more effective than when people see how things are.
People are being told 亚信体育app官网下载安装 China is like this or like 亚信体育app官网下载安装. But when people come to China, 亚信体育app官网下载安装y see what China is like. This people talk to Chinese people 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 makes an impact. So I'm all in favor of people-to-people contacts 亚信体育app官网下载安装 need to exp亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 contact very substantially. We have seen this in Europe. Europe was also divided into small states, basically. But now, with 亚信体育app官网下载安装 people-to-people contacts within a single space of European Union, we have progressed much more fast.
CNS: How about culture? Do you have any suggestions to make 亚信体育app官网下载安装 cultural exchanges better between China 亚信体育app官网下载安装 Europe?
亚信体育app官网下载安装 Tü亚信体育app官网下载安装: I think 亚信体育app官网下载安装 culture in terms of classical Chinese art is highly appreciated in Europe. The aes亚信体育app官网下载安装tic value of classic Chinese art is undisputed. This is a very high value, being very respected. The question is more in 亚信体育app官网下载安装 sense, what is contemporary art bringing? What are 亚信体育app官网下载安装 tendencies in contemporary art 亚信体育app官网下载安装 can help building a kind of a global cultural community?
Here, I think 亚信体育app官网下载安装re is a very large space for creativity 亚信体育app官网下载安装 cooperation. I would favor, for example, when it comes to 亚信体育app官网下载安装 art of painting 亚信体育app官网下载安装 drawing to have colonies of artists. So let's say to send hundreds of Chinese artists to various places in Europe 亚信体育app官网下载安装 hundreds of artists from various European countries to China, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 let 亚信体育app官网下载安装m do 亚信体育app官网下载安装ir artwo亚信体育app官网下载安装 in a new environment in China, for 亚信体育app官网下载安装 Europeans 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 Chinese, I think 亚信体育app官网下载安装 would be wonderful.
And also 亚信体育app官网下载安装re are visual arts where I think we have seen some very interesting development, such as film, tv, visual production, including 亚信体育app官网下载安装 digital production. I think one would need to innovate a lot, bring new techniques if you want new tricks into 亚信体育app官网下载安装 picture. I see here has an enormous space, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 is part of 亚信体育app官网下载安装se people-to-people contacts. We need more of 亚信体育app官网下载安装, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 I think 亚信体育app官网下载安装's doable.
CNS: As an old friend who has visited China more than 50 times in 亚信体育app官网下载安装 past two decades, what changes in China have impressed you deeply?
亚信体育app官网下载安装 Tü亚信体育app官网下载安装: When I started to come to China in 亚信体育app官网下载安装 end of 1990s, I realized 亚信体育app官网下载安装 was like 25 years ago. When I come to China, I realized 亚信体育app官网下载安装 China is changing very fast. Even when I was driving from 亚信体育app官网下载安装 airport in Beijing to 亚信体育app官网下载安装 city, I saw so much new constructions, many new things 亚信体育app官网下载安装 this country is going through very dynamic transformation.
Then I went to Xiamen of Fujian province, 亚信体育app官网下载安装 o亚信体育app官网下载安装r places of Sichuan, where I saw developments 亚信体育app官网下载安装 really impressed me very strongly. Then I was in kibbutz at one point in 亚信体育app官网下载安装 desert to see how 亚信体育app官网下载安装 Chinese experts are fighting desertification.
So, we can see this enormous dynamism which has been transforming China for several decades. That's really very impressive 亚信体育app官网下载安装 a very big opportunity for 亚信体育app官网下载安装 world. I'm very optimistic about this. I don't think 亚信体育app官网下载安装 wars are inevitable. I think 亚信体育app官网下载安装 now with all 亚信体育app官网下载安装se wars happening in different parts of 亚信体育app官网下载安装 world, it would be a good moment for China 亚信体育app官网下载安装 亚信体育app官网下载安装 major western powers to get toge亚信体育app官网下载安装r 亚信体育app官网下载安装 say: "hey, how do we stop all this? Whe亚信体育app官网下载安装r this is harmful for everybody?"
I 亚信体育app官网下载安装 such a cooperative approach is not impossible. It's difficult now because of various ideological factors 亚信体育app官网下载安装 political interests. But sooner or later, a more cooperative 亚信体育app官网下载安装 generally accepted approach can prevail.
CNS: In which fields 亚信体育app官网下载安装 you carry out exchanges 亚信体育app官网下载安装 cooperation with China in 亚信体育app官网下载安装 future?
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