BISHKEK, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The China-proposed Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) resonates deeply with the long-standing tradition of cultural exchange in Central Asia, one of the oldest crossroads of civilizations, a Kyrgyz expert has said.
The initiative, proposed in March 2023 during the Communist Party of China in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting, is an important public good offered by China to the international community in the new era. It helps promote dialogue among civilizations and seeks to overcome divisions through mutual exchange and understanding.
"Central Asia can be considered one of the oldest crossroads of civilizations. Key routes of the ancient Silk Road passed through the territory of modern-day Kyrgyzstan. Chinese, Russian, Persian, Turkic and Middle Eastern civilizations intersected here," Mars Sariev, a political scientist and expert on Central Asian issues, said in an interview with Xinhua.
"Along with goods, different ideas, religions, scientific knowledge and artistic traditions were exchanged. Therefore, the concept of civilizational dialogue is natural and deeply rooted in the region," Sariev added.
The Central Asian region had served as a bridge between the East and the West for centuries, and today it can once again play that role in civilizational exchange and dialogue in Eurasia, fostering mutual learning and understanding between different cultural worlds, the expert said.
"In this sense, Chinese initiatives for humanitarian and cultural dialogues are effectively restoring the spirit of openness that once existed along the great Silk Road," he emphasized.
Kyrgyzstan currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which marks its 25th anniversary this year.
According to Sariev, the SCO's practice of bringing together diverse civilizations for more than two decades supports China's view that different civilizations can coexist peacefully.
"In fact, the Organization has become a kind of laboratory where the possibility of peaceful coexistence between different civilizations is tested in practice," the Kyrgyz expert said. "If you look at the evolution of the SCO, it becomes clear that it is an international platform that, from the very beginning, has emphasized trust and pragmatic cooperation."
"The Organization brings together countries with distinct political systems and cultural traditions. But it is precisely this diversity that has become the organization's hallmark," Sariev added.
The Shanghai Spirit that underpins the SCO emphasizes respect for diverse civilizations. China maintains that there are no superior or inferior civilizations. Sariev noted that these principles are particularly important amid certain voices that seek to rank civilizations.
For countries in Central Asia in particular, respect for cultural diversity is not an abstract concept, but a reflection of their own historical experience, said the expert. "Our region has always been at the crossroads of civilizations, resulting in a special environment where the coexistence of different cultures has become the norm."
Sariev also stressed that stability emerges where there is balance and mutual respect.
"The principle of equality among civilizations essentially means recognizing the right of each society to develop along its own historical path. In today's world, this model of international relations appears more realistic and sustainable," he said. ■