On June 19, 2025, Chinese Ambassador to Sweden Cui Aimin published a signed article titled "Strengthening Dialogue among Civilizations and Creating a Better Future Together" on The Nordic Times. The full text is as follows:
On June 10, we celebrated the first International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations of the United Nations. This commemorative day, jointly initiated by China and over 80 countries, carries the common expectations of the international community for peace, development and friendship. It also marks a new starting point for different civilizations in the world to jointly meet challenges and embrace a better future. Dialogue among civilizations is a good way to resolve differences, mutual learning among civilizations is the source of human progress, and inter-civilizational exchanges can provide a continuous flow of fresh ideas and strong impetus for China-Sweden friendly cooperation.
Dialogue among civilizations: The “golden key” to meeting the challenges of the times
At present, the international landscape is undergoing profound changes, marked by intertwined crises and risks, along with increasing deficit in peace, development, security and governance. Against this backdrop, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Civilization Initiative in 2023, which has received broad support from many countries and injected strong momentum into the modernization of human society and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. In 2024, the 78th UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution to establish the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations, which reflects the universal aspiration of people of all countries to foster dialogue among civilizations and advance human progress. It also makes important contributions to enhancing equal exchanges and dialogues among different civilizations and promoting world peace and development.
History has repeatedly shown that openness fosters mutual understanding, and exchanges deepen mutual trust. The Chinese and Swedish peoples share a deep consensus on this. Nobel’s belief of serving humanity as a citizen of the world and the statement from China’s Book of Rites, “A just cause should be pursued for the common good,” both embody the philosophy of transcending civilizational barriers and striving for harmonious coexistence. As we mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations, dialogue among civilizations holds even greater significance. Barriers and prejudices only exacerbate conflicts; only through inter-civilizational dialogue can we build a solid foundation for mutual trust and ensure common security.
Mutual learning among civilizations: The anchor of promoting China-Sweden cooperation
Human history is an epic of encounters, mutual learning, and symbiosis among different civilizations. Although China and Sweden are located at the opposite ends of the Eurasian continent, the two countries share a long history of friendly exchanges. More than 280 years ago, the merchant ship Götheborg established the bond of exchanges between China and Sweden. Seventy-five years ago, Sweden became the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have maintained active exchanges and cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, science and technology, culture, and education. In the digital age, people-to-people exchanges have been further invigorated, depicting a vibrant picture of mutual learning among civilizations in the new era.
Civilizations have become richer and more colorful with exchanges and mutual learning. The complementary strengths of China and Sweden in the fields of scientific and technological innovation, green development and cultural exchanges have not only promoted the steady development of bilateral relations, but also contributed Eastern wisdom and Nordic experience to global sustainable development. This kind of mutual learning among civilizations, based on mutual respect, openness and inclusiveness, transcends geographical and cultural differences. It builds a bridge of win-win cooperation, and stands as a vivid practice of mutual success and shared progress of countries with different civilizations, different systems and different stages of development.
Mutual advancement of civilizations: The compass for creating a better future
President Xi Jinping has pointed out that countries are not riding separately in some 190 small boats, but are rather all in a giant ship on which our shared destiny hinges. It is the cherished vision of the Chinese people that a noble cause is never a lonely pursuit and the whole world is one family. Promoting human progress and world harmony has been a relentless pursuit of the Communist Party of China. China and Sweden should take the International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations as an opportunity to draw on historical wisdom, seize the opportunities of the times, carry forward traditional friendship, and strengthen exchanges and cooperation. We should actively promote international free trade, jointly oppose unilateralism and the law of the jungle, firmly safeguard their legitimate rights and interests as well as the common interests of the international community, and contribute greater stability and certainty to the world.
Dialogue among different civilizations has always been a timeless theme in the progress of humanity. China is ready to work with Sweden and other partners around the world to uphold equality among civilizations, promote exchanges among civilizations, advance the progress of civilizations, move toward the inspiring vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and join hands to create a better tomorrow.