CGTN: Beauty in diversity: How wisdom at Nishan Forum inspires global modernization
'Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar?' This opening question and well-known saying from the Analects of Confucius has been transformed into a vivid reality as experts and scholars from across the world gathered at the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in east China's Qufu City.
The forum is named after Nishan Mountain, formerly known as the Ni Qiu Hill, about 30 kilometers southeast of Qufu – the birthplace of the great Chinese thinker and educator Confucius (551-479 BC). Since its first edition in 2010, the forum has become a platform for understanding China and fostering international cultural and civilizational exchanges.
ADVERTISEMENT
Taking place from Wednesday to Thursday, the 11th Nishan Forum attracted more than 500 global leaders, scholars and cultural figures to explore the role of ancient wisdom in shaping the modern world with the theme of 'Beauty in Diversity: Nurturing Understanding Among Civilizations for Global Modernization.'
Understanding among civilizations highlighted
Scholars at the forum underscored the essential role that cultural exchange and mutual learning among civilizations play in advancing human progress.
Noting armed conflicts have resurfaced in today's turbulent world, Madagascar's Ambassador to China Jean Louis Robinson spoke highly of the forum, saying that its role in promoting harmonious coexistence and shared prosperity among diverse cultures and civilizations has become all the more significant.
China-proposed Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) won praise from foreign participants. In March 2023, China introduced the GCI, which calls for respect for global civilizational diversity, the promotion of shared human values, the inheritance and innovation of civilizations, and the strengthening of international cultural exchanges.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hussain Mohamed Latheef, vice president of the Republic of Maldives, described the GCI as a timely reminder of the need to respect and understand diverse cultures worldwide. 'The initiative promotes shared human values, aims to balance tradition with innovation, and supports cultural exchange and development,' Latheef added.
Some of the experts spoke highly of the influence of Confucianism, which is known for its five key concepts, namely benevolence, or 'ren' in Chinese, righteousness, or 'yi,' propriety, 'li,' wisdom, 'zhi,' and trustworthiness, 'xin.'
Dr Salome Nyambura, director of the Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University, told CGTN that close people-to-people exchanges between China and Kenya have made more Kenyans interested in Confucianism.
Echoing Nyambura, Riccardo Pozzo, professor of History of Philosophy at Tor Vergata University of Rome, said that Confucianism can provide valuable solutions to bridge traditional and modern issues and solve modern problems, citing the saying from the Analects that 'If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge and continually acquires new knowledge, he may become a teacher to others.'
Global modernization deeply rooted in fertile soil of civilizations
As well as fueling academic dialogue and people-to-people connections, exchanges among civilizations are also expected to generate valuable insights to tackle global challenges and open up diverse pathways for modernization.
China is committed to offering new opportunities to the world through the achievements of its unique path to modernization, and providing new momentum to global partners through its vast domestic market, Sun Chunlan, president of the International Confucian Association, said when addressing the opening of the forum.
China's poverty alleviation efforts and global cooperation on poverty reduction have provided relevant examples, demonstrating that the development of civilization should be 'people-oriented' and that the fruits of development can benefit more groups.
Wang Xuedian, vice president of the International Confucian Association, said that civilizations must engage in dialogue and mutual learning to explore development paths that align with their own cultural contexts.
By drawing on advanced productive forces and promoting traditional values, different civilizations can bridge developmental gaps and realize the common prosperity and harmonious coexistence of multiple civilizations, Wang added.
As for Latheef, humanity must work together to safeguard cultural traditions and values while embracing new ideas and changes to adapt to global modernization.
Roger T. Ames, professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Hawaii and Humanities Chair Professor at Peking University, said that the urgent task is to transform individualism into a conscious awareness of a united global community, adding that the Confucian values of fairness, inclusiveness and harmony offer valuable guidance for addressing the pressing challenges of the modern world.
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-07-10/Beauty-in-diversity-How-Nishan-Forum-inspires-global-modernization-1ET6WOKnklO/p.html
Hashtag: #CGTN
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Filipino Times
a day ago
- Filipino Times
Marcos, Trump to hold first bilateral talks in Washington
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington in the coming days, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on Thursday. Rubio made the announcement following his meeting with Philippine and Japanese counterparts at the sidelines of the ASEAN ministerial meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. '(We) look forward to hosting the president of the Philippines in Washington in a few days,' said Rubio. The bilateral meeting comes as the Philippines prepares to send a trade delegation to the U.S. next week to pursue negotiations after the Trump administration imposed a 20 percent tariff on Philippine goods. Both countries are also working to enhance their defense and military ties in response to growing Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. Related Articles
Zawya
2 days ago
- Zawya
Egypt: President El-Sisi Meets Premier of the State Council of China
Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received the Premier of the State Council of China, Li Qiang, in the presence of Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, along with several ministers and senior officials from both sides. The Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Mohamed El-Shennawy, said that the Premier of the State Council of China conveyed the greetings of the Chinese president to President El-Sisi. He also emphasized that President El-Sisi is a dear friend of China and is always warmly welcomed in Beijing. He expressed China's pride in having close relations with Egypt, which are built on a long history of strategic partnership, mutual respect, and common interests. The Premier noted the rapid development in bilateral relations and the close coordination between the two countries on both regional and international levels, appreciating Egypt's pivotal role as a cornerstone of stability in the Middle East. President El-Sisi affirmed Egypt's commitment to enhancing cooperation with China in various areas of mutual interest and working to activate the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, especially with the upcoming celebration, to be held in 2026, of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Egypt and China. President El-Sisi lauded the contributions of Chinese companies to implementing development projects in Egypt and expressed the country's interest in attracting more Chinese investments, particularly in the sectors of new and renewable energy and electric vehicle manufacturing. This is in addition to enhancing the flow of Chinese tourism and strengthening cooperation in the manufacturing and development fields in general. President El-Sisi also expressed Egypt's interest in continuing coordination with China on the issue of debt swaps and the effective and efficient implementation of related agreements. Views were exchanged on regional and international developments. Both sides stressed the importance of underpinning the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran, and resuming the diplomatic path to resolve the crisis through peaceful means. Both parties also underscored the necessity of reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, ensuring the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid, and the importance of reaching a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.
Arabian Post
2 days ago
- Arabian Post
CGTN: Beauty in diversity: How wisdom at Nishan Forum inspires global modernization
BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 July 2025 – As the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations takes place in east China's Qufu City, CGTN published an article highlighting the importance of dialogue and mutual learning among civilizations to promote harmonious coexistence, shared prosperity, and the safeguarding of traditional values in the face of modern challenges. 'Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar?' This opening question and well-known saying from the Analects of Confucius has been transformed into a vivid reality as experts and scholars from across the world gathered at the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in east China's Qufu City. The forum is named after Nishan Mountain, formerly known as the Ni Qiu Hill, about 30 kilometers southeast of Qufu – the birthplace of the great Chinese thinker and educator Confucius (551-479 BC). Since its first edition in 2010, the forum has become a platform for understanding China and fostering international cultural and civilizational exchanges. ADVERTISEMENT Taking place from Wednesday to Thursday, the 11th Nishan Forum attracted more than 500 global leaders, scholars and cultural figures to explore the role of ancient wisdom in shaping the modern world with the theme of 'Beauty in Diversity: Nurturing Understanding Among Civilizations for Global Modernization.' Understanding among civilizations highlighted Scholars at the forum underscored the essential role that cultural exchange and mutual learning among civilizations play in advancing human progress. Noting armed conflicts have resurfaced in today's turbulent world, Madagascar's Ambassador to China Jean Louis Robinson spoke highly of the forum, saying that its role in promoting harmonious coexistence and shared prosperity among diverse cultures and civilizations has become all the more significant. China-proposed Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) won praise from foreign participants. In March 2023, China introduced the GCI, which calls for respect for global civilizational diversity, the promotion of shared human values, the inheritance and innovation of civilizations, and the strengthening of international cultural exchanges. ADVERTISEMENT Hussain Mohamed Latheef, vice president of the Republic of Maldives, described the GCI as a timely reminder of the need to respect and understand diverse cultures worldwide. 'The initiative promotes shared human values, aims to balance tradition with innovation, and supports cultural exchange and development,' Latheef added. Some of the experts spoke highly of the influence of Confucianism, which is known for its five key concepts, namely benevolence, or 'ren' in Chinese, righteousness, or 'yi,' propriety, 'li,' wisdom, 'zhi,' and trustworthiness, 'xin.' Dr Salome Nyambura, director of the Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University, told CGTN that close people-to-people exchanges between China and Kenya have made more Kenyans interested in Confucianism. Echoing Nyambura, Riccardo Pozzo, professor of History of Philosophy at Tor Vergata University of Rome, said that Confucianism can provide valuable solutions to bridge traditional and modern issues and solve modern problems, citing the saying from the Analects that 'If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge and continually acquires new knowledge, he may become a teacher to others.' Global modernization deeply rooted in fertile soil of civilizations As well as fueling academic dialogue and people-to-people connections, exchanges among civilizations are also expected to generate valuable insights to tackle global challenges and open up diverse pathways for modernization. China is committed to offering new opportunities to the world through the achievements of its unique path to modernization, and providing new momentum to global partners through its vast domestic market, Sun Chunlan, president of the International Confucian Association, said when addressing the opening of the forum. China's poverty alleviation efforts and global cooperation on poverty reduction have provided relevant examples, demonstrating that the development of civilization should be 'people-oriented' and that the fruits of development can benefit more groups. Wang Xuedian, vice president of the International Confucian Association, said that civilizations must engage in dialogue and mutual learning to explore development paths that align with their own cultural contexts. By drawing on advanced productive forces and promoting traditional values, different civilizations can bridge developmental gaps and realize the common prosperity and harmonious coexistence of multiple civilizations, Wang added. As for Latheef, humanity must work together to safeguard cultural traditions and values while embracing new ideas and changes to adapt to global modernization. Roger T. Ames, professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Hawaii and Humanities Chair Professor at Peking University, said that the urgent task is to transform individualism into a conscious awareness of a united global community, adding that the Confucian values of fairness, inclusiveness and harmony offer valuable guidance for addressing the pressing challenges of the modern world. Hashtag: #CGTN The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
