Xinhua Commentary: World classics conference, another step in promoting exchanges among civilizations

BEIJING, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) — With humanity at a crossroads due to challenges posed by a backlash against globalization and the emergence of renewed regional conflicts, the inaugural World Conference of Classics in Beijing stood out as an endeavor of reaching back to inspire a way forward.
Themed “Classical Civilizations and the Modern World,” the just-concluded conference was co-organized by China and Greece. More than two millennia ago, the ancient civilizations of China and Greece flourished at opposite sides of the Eurasian continent, laying the foundation for the development of human civilization.
These classical civilizations represent the pinnacle of human development and serve as a beacon of wisdom, embodying a vast repository of rational and practical knowledge about understanding and transforming the world. One case in point was Europe’s Renaissance, which found its transformative ideas in Greco-Roman civilization and led to the rise of the modern Western world.
Against the backdrop of decades of fast economic growth and social stability, Chinese people have showed an expanding interest in the country’s cultural heritage, with museums across China recording 1.29 billion visits in 2023, a figure close to its population of over 1.4 billion.
This phenomenon reflects the nation’s deep urge to know more about its past and reveals an enhanced sense of confidence in its national identity, amid the drive to advance Chinese modernization, which is deeply rooted in China’s fine traditional culture, while also drawing on the achievements of other great civilizations.
It is proven by history that different civilizations can coexist harmoniously rather than be at odds, and theories on “clash of civilizations” or the superiority of one over another will simply lead humanity down a destructive path. Only through dialogue and exchange can civilizations deepen their self-understanding and genuinely respect and appreciate others, thus forming a stronger shared vision that transcends civilizational divides.
Given the differences in background and language, mutual learning among civilizations has never been easy. However, efforts in identifying commonalities can be conducive to this endeavor, as illustrated by the common ideas expressed in ancient Chinese and Greek philosophies.
In this sense, the classics of China are not only important for China but also for the world as a whole. Chinese classical studies should be viewed as being part of the classical studies of the world, which have long focused on Western classics.
Martin Kern, a sinologist and professor at Princeton University, has highlighted that studying ancient China or Greece in isolation limits the ability of scholars in classical studies to understand what makes each culture distinct, while also curbing the possibility of identifying the universal traits shared across civilizations.
The recent conference constituted another concrete measure in China’s efforts to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, complementing an array of international exchange events such as the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations and the Dialogue on Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Civilizations.
Along with the establishment of the Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens, the advent of this event has created a new platform for civilizational exchange and mutual learning between China, Greece and other nations around the world. ■