Samuel Huntington pointed out that, “Human history is the history of civilisations. It is impossible to think of the development of humanity in any other terms.” “The concept of civilisation provided a standard by which to judge societies… A civilisation is thus the highest cultural grouping of people and the broadest level of cultural identity people have short of that which distinguishes humans from other species. It is defined both by common objective elements, such as language, history, religion, customs, institutions and by the subjective self-identification of people.” With the development of civil societies, the reality we face is an inter-cultural and inter-religious society, whether in China or in America. So the study of religion, culture and civilisation has exceeded the boundary of countries and nations, necessitating research on cross-cultural phenomena. The Chinese-Islamic cultural phenomenon can be regarded as exemplary of dialogue among civilisations: Forming a brand new systematic thought resulting from interreligious and intercultural coexistence. It provides data to investigators of the connection between religions and human civil societies from cross-cultural perspectives, whether in the classical Silk Road or the so-called “One Belt, One Road” today. The whole world has been keeping an eye on the visits of President Xi to several Islamic countries, in which President Xi calls for strengthening the dialogue between the civilisations of the Arab world and China, as when he visited the headquarters of the Arab League. Analysing the main points of President Xi's speech at the headquarters will reveal the meaningful strategic principle in the cultural dimension developing side-by-side in cooperation with “One Belt, One Road” related countries. First of all, enhancing cultural exchanges among different nations in order to achieve mutual understandings avoid confrontations, and conflicts could be regarded as the cultural strategy deployed alongside building “One Belt, One Road.” “Getting to know each other from the bottom of the heart” is the goal of cultural communication, promoting the Asian Community of Common Future. Designed by the Chinese government, this project stems from its strong will to strengthen cultural communication, especially in the coming five years. Secondly, President Xi offers an effective way for achieving a win-win scenario by hand-in-hand helping each other based on respective advantages, avoiding confrontations and conflict. Threats are side-lined in favour of inspiration and enjoying prosperity all together. President Xi is keen to enhance the common ground of cultural values and principles that China and the Arabs would share, embedded in our splendid civilisations. Thirdly, President Xi calls for introducing and clarifying the deep roots and origins of our two great civilisations, exploring common ideas and aspirations stemming from our great traditions, such as the principles of benevolence, Islam, piety, self-cultivation, righteousness and so on. In this vein, China will pursue numerous cultural projects encouraging cultural exchange based on tolerance and inspiration. From my point of view, regarding the worldwide situation of Arabs and Muslims, Islam and its cultural values need to be understood so that Muslims can be accepted by others, especially considering the millions of Middle East refugees arriving to European societies. It is time for us to take action by setting up a five-year cultural project on the principles as well as wisdoms of Islamic civilisation that could be shared by most people, benefiting the daily life of various communities. The main theme of the Beijing International Symposium (8-12 July 2016) was highlighting the features and advantages of Asian civilisations formed over long periods of historical development, especially various religions and cultures, including Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Confucianism. Discussions in this symposium covered diverse topics and included strong participation by Arab scholars, including Egyptians. The significant outcomes of this symposium were well summarised by President of International Confucian Association Teng Wensheng: 1) Unity without uniformity, and the unity of harmony and integration; 2) To seek truth from facts and advance with the times; 3) To be industrious and frugal, independent and self-reliant; 4) To value the collective and be self-restrained, devoting oneself to public duties; 5) To employ both virtue and law in governance, treating both the symptoms and root causes of any ailments; 6) To live in harmony and peace with neighbouring countries; 7) To be sincere and maintain respect and trust; 8) To combine righteousness and profit, gaining mutual benefits from win-win situations; and 9) To be open and inclusive in order to learn and gain inspiration from each other. Since 2013, President Xi's administration has sponsored development of a New Silk Road, initially encompassing China, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and now extending to a “Great Renaissance of Arab nations and China”, in Xi's own words. China has already paved the way to expanding its influence in various spheres in order to achieve ever wider cooperation with the world's nations. It is clear that cultural exchanges among different nations and between different religions can effectively improve mutual understanding and reduce or avert conflict due to a lack of relevant knowledge or misunderstandings. With the strong will and financial support of the Chinese government, efforts at cultural exchange on the New Silk Road will continue to catch attention from all over the world, underwriting diverse economic activities as well as stability, security and harmony. The writer is professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
