April 30th, 2022

(From www.hywnet.com, Correspondent Geng Ling) On the afternoon of April 9, 2022, an international symposium with the theme of “Dialogue among Civilizations in Asia Pacific Peripheral Areas: Heritage, Diversity and Prosperity” was held by the World Muslim Communities Council, the Asia Pacific Exchange & Cooperation Foundation (APECF) and other institutions in Dubai, Jakarta, Tokyo and Beijing in the form of online video conference.

Under the current situation, the main purpose of this symposium is to promote common vision, common development and common destiny as responsibility, promote the global understanding of the current situation, culture and history of the Asia Pacific region, so as to enhance the consensus on the role of the Asia Pacific region in building peace and development of future world. Guests from more than a dozen countries attended this symposium. By reviewing history and discussing today, they explored the civilization exchange and interaction to illuminate the model for a common future in the Asia Pacific region.

Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the World Muslim Communities Council delivered an opening remark, Xiao Wunan, Executive Vice Chairman of APECF delivered a welcoming speech, Dr. Osman Bakar, Emeritus Professor of philosophy at the University of Malaya and former President of the Islamic Academy of Sciences of Malaysia, Dr. Sirajuddin Muhammad Din Syamsuddin, Chairman of Indonesian Ulema Council Center, and Haiyun Ma, President of Zhenhe Forum, and other guests made keynote speeches. They elaborated their respective views on the theme of this symposium.

Xiao Wunan, Executive Vice Chairman of APECF, said that the world is currently facing great challenges and changes, and how to face and accept them is the historical responsibility and mission of leaders from all walk of life in the Asia Pacific region, especially cultural and religious leaders. At present, this region is the most important civilized activity area of mankind, the strongest economy and the largest consumer market. This region accounts for more than half of world’s population, that is, about 1.4 billion in China, about 1.6 billion in South Asia and about 600 million in ASEAN. From the perspective of Chinese culture: in 2024, mankind will enter the “Ninth Fortune” in Chinese Geomantic Omen, that is, the Oriental Fortune and also the rejuvenation of the Asia Pacific region. The Asia Pacific region will become the pillar of world prosperity and stability and the birthplace of new human civilization.

In 2014, the Chinese President Xi Jinping advocated the idea of “exchange and mutual learning between the Eastern and Western civilizations” in his speech at UNESCO, expressing the Chinese people’s attitude towards the spread of civilization, that is, “harmony in diversity” and seeking tolerance and coexistence. This is different from the phenomenon of using one civilization to suppress another civilization in human history, just as when Western civilization spread to Asia in the last few centuries, it used suppression and coverage. Therefore, the greatest features of the new civilization in the future world are equality, inclusiveness, common prosperity and harmony.

At the same time, Xiao Wunan also talked about the special origin between Islamic civilization and Chinese civilization, and stressed that Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism in Chinese traditional culture all hope to maintain close communication, understanding and cooperation with Islam, and hoped to further strengthen and deepen the friendship between the people of relevant countries in some way.

Executive Editor: Li Chuanjun