With China standing as the flag bearer of harmonious coexistence and shared development of world civilizations, the Macao Special Administrative Region — a time cherished meeting point of East and West — is offering its own answer to how civilizations can engage through dialogue rather than division, officials and scholars heard at the inaugural International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations on Tuesday.

The two-day forum pays tribute to the Global Civilization Initiative proposed in 2023, one of China's newest solutions to addressing global challenges by promoting inclusiveness and mutual learning, and advocating respect for the diversity of world civilizations.

In his opening remarks in Macao, Wang Gang, vice-minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, underscored the forum as "a vivid example of putting the GCI into practice". "It provides a timely and meaningful platform for civilizations to meet on an equal footing, engage in dialogue and deepen cooperation," Wang said.

Rather than framing civilizational exchange as an abstract ideal, Wang presented it as a practical agenda. He called for greater respect for diversity as the foundation of dialogue, the promotion of shared human values as common ground, the protection of cultural heritage through innovation, and deeper people-to-people exchanges to build trust and consensus.

"By telling the stories of China and the Macao SAR well, and by introducing to the world more outstanding cultural achievements that embody Chinese characteristics, reflect the Chinese spirit, and contain Chinese wisdom, we can enrich the garden of world civilizations through mutual learning among civilizations," Wang said.

For nearly five centuries, Macao has stood at the forefront of sustained dialogue and deep interaction between Chinese and Western civilizations.

"Macao's experience has demonstrated — and will continue to demonstrate — that zero-sum thinking is unsustainable, and that cooperation and harmony are the true path forward for human civilization," O Lam, secretary for social affairs and culture of the Macao SAR government, said during the opening ceremony.

Such a living experience, O pointed out, allows the city to contribute not only narratives, but practical insights as well.

The secretary called on experts and participants to draw lessons from Macao's pluralistic heritage and translate them into approaches that can be shared elsewhere, in what she termed a "Macao Solution".

In his keynote speech, Li Guoqiang, member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and vice-president of the Chinese Academy of History, highlighted deepening exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations as "the only viable path toward the flourishing and advancement of human civilization, and the surest path toward realizing the shared aspirations of people around the world for a better life".

Presented by the Macao SAR government, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR government and supported by the Chinese Academy of History of CASS, the forum also comes in a year marking the 20th anniversary of the successful inscription of the "Historic Centre of Macao" on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

sophialuo@chinadailyhk.com