The mutual learning of civilizations holds significant importance for the modernization and peaceful development of countries around the world, said Qian Chengdan, a professor of History, at a high-level civilization forum in Macao on Tuesday.

Qian, who is a Boya Chair Professor at Peking University, emphasized at the 2025 International Forum on Mutual Learning Among Civilizations that diversity has always been and will always be the most fundamental and vital attribute of human civilization.

He noted that civilizations around the world have emerged through mutual learning. Interaction has made the rise of civilization possible, allowing it to evolve from isolated points to interconnected networks, and from those networks to expansive regions.

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Although the expansion of capitalism around 1500 AD disrupted the equal coexistence of civilizations and gave rise to Western centralism advocacy, the modernization trend of the world in the 20th century and the development of non-Western countries have restored a sense of equality in civilizational relationships.

This rejuvenation of ancient civilization also provides the world with greater opportunities to apply the wisdom of ancient cultures to address modern issues, such as the relationship between humanity and nature, as well as the balance between the individual and the collective.

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Qian believed that mutual learning among different civilizations ensures the correct development of social modernization. Citing renowned Chinese sociologist Fei Xiaotong, he said that humanity can only thrive through communication and mutual learning. By drawing on each other's strengths and addressing each other's weaknesses, civilizations can ensure and the world can maintain peace.