- by Wang Yu – Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Sydney
- The Guardian
- Issue #2194
Photo: pxfuel.com (CC0)
From the Great Wall, where an agrarian civilisation thrived among the mountains, to Sydney Harbour, where a maritime nation flourished amid the seas, China and Australia, though separated by distance, have both forged time-honoured histories and profound civilisations through the tireless endeavours of generations, and therefore share a deep understanding of the harmony between humanity and nature.
China is a unified multi-ethnic country where ethnic groups live harmoniously together with equality, solidarity and mutual assistance. Chinese culture is the culmination of the excellent cultures of all ethnic groups, created jointly by all its people. Chinese civilisation has evolved and grown by drawing on its past achievements, exploring new ground and adapting to changes.
Chinese inventions such as paper making, gunpowder, printing and the compass as well as China’s astronomical knowledge, calendar system, philosophy and the people-centred doctrine have all had a global impact and propelled the development of human civilisations.
In March 2023, President Xi Jinping announced the Global Civilisation Initiative, which calls for upholding the common values of humanity, emphasising both heritage and innovation and strengthening international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.
In June 2024, with the unanimous support of all member states, the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution initiated by China and other 82 countries, which declares 10 June the International Day for Dialogue Among Civilisations. This echoes the common aspiration of people from all countries for promoting dialogue among civilisations and the progress of humanity. In June 2025, as the international community celebrated the first International Day for Dialogue Among Civilisations, the ideas and propositions of the Global Civilisation Initiative have increasingly become a global consensus and have been translated into practice.
The beauty of civilisations lies in realising that we are different, yet we can still try to understand one another. Australia embraces multiculturalism, while China advocates the philosophy of “harmony without uniformity.” Despite our differences in history, culture, political and social systems, we share a similar commitment to peaceful development, inclusiveness and respect for diversity.
As long as we uphold this common aspiration, China and Australia will forge even deeper understanding through exchanges and mutual learning, just as eucalyptus and bamboo could intertwine their branches beautifully, koala and panda inspire our affection with the same kind of cuteness, and the sea breeze of the Southern Hemisphere stirs the echoes of ancient civilisations across mountains and seas.
In recent years, exchanges between our peoples have grown steadily, helping us better understand each other and bringing us closer together. Chinese culture has become an increasingly vibrant part of Australia’s multicultural society, and the Chinese Australian community has helped bring our two countries closer through friendship, understanding and exchange.
Diversity spurs interaction among civilisations, which in turn promotes mutual learning and their further development. The world today is moving toward greater multipolarity, economic globalisation and cultural diversity, and is becoming increasingly information-oriented. We are facing common challenges and critical historical choices that will shape our shared future.
China is ready to work with Australia and other members of the international community to jointly promote the implementation of the Global Civilisation Initiative, and the concepts of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness, as well as the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom for all humanity.
Dialogue among civilisations enables us to transcend differences and establish empathy, which will help people of all countries to learn more about each other, build closer bonds, prosper together, and build a community with a shared future for humanity where all civilisations thrive together.
