The orchid ethos illuminates a turbulent world

The Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting held last week in Beijing under the theme "Safeguarding Diversity of Human Civilizations for World Peace and Development", along with side events such as the ceremony for the Orchid Awards for promoting cultural exchanges, signifies a high point of China's endeavor to champion mutual learning among civilizations. The initiatives are a distinct ray of hope in today's tumultuous global landscape.

As noted by Irina Bokova, former UNESCO director-general and recipient of the second Orchid Awards for Lifetime Honorary Award, 2025 is a "year of commemorations": the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), and the founding of the United Nations.

Yet top Chinese diplomats, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi and China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Fu Cong, have invoked a potent metaphor to describe a worrying situation: the obsession with power politics has unlocked a "Pandora's box" of the law of the jungle, fueling chaos across the world. This warning reflects fears that the world risks regressing to prewar conditions.