Chinese philosophy and wisdom can help bridge the world’s geopolitical differences, spur cross-cultural dialogue and improve global governance, officials and global cultural leaders heard at the 2026 International Forum on Mutual Learning Among Civilizations, which opened in the Macao Special Administrative Region on Monday.

The key topics discussed include harmony without uniformity, openness and inclusiveness, along with the multicultural coexistence demonstrated by the Hong Kong and Macao SARs under “one country, two systems”.

The two-day gathering, being held at the Galaxy International Convention Center, is themed “Mutual Learning among Civilizations, Inheritance and Development” – a nod to the vision behind the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by China in 2023.

The initiative calls for a concerted response to the world’s challenges to encourage inclusiveness, mutual learning, respect for diverse civilizations and harmonious coexistence among cultures.

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“The Global Civilization Initiative contributes Chinese wisdom to addressing global challenges, promoting respect for diversity and shared human values in a world where cultural barriers still remain and perspectives differ,” Macao SAR Chief Executive Sam Hou-fai said at the opening ceremony.  

The forum, he said, plays an important role in advancing cultural prosperity and strengthening people-to-people ties through substantive discussions on mutual learning, cultural continuity and development.

Sam said Macao, strategically positioned in national policy as a key window for Chinese-Western exchanges, is committed to upholding peace, inclusiveness, openness and sharing under “one country, two systems”, and pledged to make full use of the city’s exchange and cooperation mechanisms to facilitate diverse traditions meeting with Chinese culture at the core.

Li Guoqiang – a member of the Academic Divisions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and director of the Research Centre for Macao History at the Chinese Academy of History – said mutual respect, common purpose and harmonious coexistence are the path forward for human civilization.

“We hope this platform gives diverse civilizations ample space for expression, helps them flourish together and inspire one another,” he said.

In keynote sessions, seven leading international experts touched on how societies can learn from each other, with Hong Kong and Macao’s role as a facilitator in focus.

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Feng Shi – a member of the CASS’s Academic Divisions – referred to archaeology and ancient writing to explain the ancient Chinese aspiration for a world shaped by cultural and moral virtues.

He cited Chinese culture’s influence on Europe’s 17th- and 18th-century enlightenment thinkers, calling for similar spirits of self-reflection and mutual learning to inform cultural exchanges aimed at easing today’s conflicts.

Hugh Bowden -- a professor of ancient history at the Department of Classics of King’s College London – said the ancient world still offers ideas on how modern societies can learn from each other.

He highlighted similarities in the ideas of ancient philosophers like China’s Confucius and Socrates of Greece, alongside the Silk Road linking China with the rest of Asia, Africa and Europe through trade and culture, saying the antiquity can illuminate the origins of commerce, ethics and ideas that underpin contemporary international relations.

Hamashita Takeshi – director of the Research Department of Japan’s Toyo Bunko and a senior research fellow of Sun Yat-sen University’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities -- offered a maritime perspective on the longstanding ties between trade, migration and cultural exchange across different seas.

Notably, he said, Macao had historically provided an important entry point for Western culture into Asia, while the city’s place along sea routes linking the East China Sea and the South China Sea made it an important meeting point for China and Southeast Asia.

Hamashita urged scholars to revisit maritime history through the interplay of shipping activity and cultural exchange.

Li Cheng, who’s the founding director of the Centre on Contemporary China and the World at The University of Hong Kong, shifted his focus to the wider Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The region he said, has long taken in diverse cultural influences, helping early encounters between Chinese and Western societies to become a rich exchange that has benefited both.

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Li said the Greater Bay Area should continue to prioritize people-centered development, while sharing professional expertise to promote joint growth across the Asia Pacific.

Zheng Yongnian -- dean of the School of Public Policy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen – said he believes the Greater Bay Area has the conditions to support cultures’ harmonious coexistence and provide a platform for equal dialogue. The region’s experience can serve as a reference for shared development elsewhere, he said.

Hong Kong and Macao, which are part of the Greater Bay Area’s 11-city cluster, can act as vital bridges linking the Chinese national community with a broader vision of shared futures among neighboring countries and regions and across all humanity, as the “one country, two systems” principle has a root logic of coexistence and exchange between different social systems, said Jiang Shigong – president of Minzu University of China.

Another speaker, Mok Ian-ian – executive vice-president of the Federation of Associations of Cultural Sectors of Macau – highlighted Macao gastronomy and Patua theater -- two nationally-recognized forms of intangible cultural heritage -- as examples of cultures moving from coexistence to shared creation.

“It’s ordinary people’s food, theater and everyday stories that best show the world how cultures learn from one another,” she said.

This year’s forum has attracted about 300 participants from governments, international organizations and academia from more than 20 countries and regions to join some 40 dialogue sessions. The topics range from the China-led Belt and Road Initiative, closer Sino-Portuguese ties and joint implementation of the Global Civilization Initiative to how the world should govern artificial intelligence and strive for shared human values with the advent of technology.

The conference, which was first held last year, is organized by the Macao SAR government, backed by the CASS’ Chinese Academy of History.

Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com