Build network for cooperation, dialogue, Xi says

Exchanges, mutual learning seen as key for human progress to be made

President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that in a world where transformation and turbulence are interwoven and humanity stands at a new crossroads, there is an ever pressing need for civilizations to transcend estrangement through exchanges, and to transcend clashes through mutual learning.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the statement in a congratulatory letter to the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting, which opened in Beijing on Thursday.

"The world is, in nature, a place of diverse civilizations," Xi said. "History has shown us that exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations are essential for civilizations to flourish and human progress to be made."