Introduction

In golden autumn Chang'an, the Silk Road dialogue continues once more. The 2025 China Economic and Social Forum was held on September 18 in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, bringing together over 80 Chinese and foreign guests from 26 countries across five continents and international and regional organizations for in-depth exchanges on the theme of "Deepening Exchanges and Mutual Learning Among Civilizations, Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind". The forum highlights the contemporary themes of civilizational mutual learning, coordinated development, and people-to-people connectivity, presenting a multilateral interactive landscape characterized by openness, inclusiveness, and pragmatic cooperation. Zhang Yinjun, a member of the China Economic and Social Council and President of the Beijing Changier Education Foundation, participated in the forum, focusing on youth physical and mental health and the practical value of social organizations in civilizational exchanges, while observing, learning from, and engaging in discussions on related sub-topics.

2025 China Economic and Social Forum: A Comprehensive Review

Wang Dongfeng, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the CPPCC and Chairman of the China Economic and Social Council, pointed out in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony that since the 18th CPC National Congress, in response to the epochal question of "how civilizations should coexist and where they should head", President Xi Jinping has advocated exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and put forward four major initiatives on global development, security, civilization, and governance. As important international public goods provided by China in the new era, these initiatives have received widespread positive response. The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind reflects the common aspirations of people from all countries for peace, development, and stability. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. History demonstrates that human destinies are interconnected, and that multilateral cooperation and peaceful development represent the right path forward in addressing global challenges. We should uphold the correct view of history, defend the achievements of World War II victory, maintain the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law, oppose hegemony and power politics, promote a more just and equitable order, and work together to create the future.

Preserving the diversity of civilizations and respecting the social systems and development paths of all countries

In 2023, President Xi Jinping first proposed the Global Civilization Initiative to the world at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting, aimed at promoting mutual understanding and affinity among peoples of all countries and fostering inclusiveness and mutual learning among civilizations.

President Xi Jinping pointed out: "In today's world where the futures and destinies of all countries are closely interconnected, the inclusive coexistence and mutual learning among different civilizations play an irreplaceable role in advancing the modernization of human society and enriching the garden of world civilizations." "We should jointly advocate respect for the diversity of world civilizations, uphold equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations, and let civilizational exchanges transcend civilizational estrangement, civilizational mutual learning transcend civilizational conflict, and civilizational inclusiveness transcend civilizational superiority."

Nú?ez, President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba, expressed strong agreement with this. He stated that Cuba highly appreciates and actively supports the Global Civilization Initiative.

Phinij, former Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Thai-Chinese Cultural Promotion Committee, highly commended the global governance initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin.

Zottele, Director of the China-Veracruz Studies Center of the University of Veracruz, Mexico, specifically mentioned in his remarks that President Xi Jinping's announcement at the 4th Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum in May this year to jointly launch initiatives on solidarity, development, civilization, peace, and people-to-people exchanges with Latin American countries has received widespread recognition from leaders across Latin America and around the world.

Hudson, Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, said that President Xi Jinping's Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative, Global Governance Initiative, and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era represent the most advanced ideas guiding human progress.

Turin, Associate Professor at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, also deeply feels that China has become a self-respecting, confident, powerful, and wise global player.

Zhang Hecheng, CPPCC National Committee member and Dean of the Rural Revitalization Institute at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, shared the story of China's victory in the fight against poverty, which received positive responses from foreign guests.

Kumiko Haba, Professor Emeritus at Aoyama Gakuin University in Japan concluded through data analysis that China's economy has sustained rapid development, attributing this achievement to China's significant institutional advantages.

Liu Jieyi, member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC and Vice Chairman of the China Economic and Social Council, summarized the consensus reached by the participating representatives in his concluding remarks.

Strengthening Civilizational Exchange and Dialogue to Harness the Tremendous Power of Openness and Cooperation

President Xi Jinping pointed out: "Throughout human history, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations have made the world more colorful and diverse, and have provided strong support for enhanced cooperation among different countries and peoples."

Qiu Hong, CPPCC National Committee member and China Economic and Social Council Standing Director, said that the ancient Silk Road was not only a route for trade and commerce, but also a pathway for cultural exchange. Today, the Belt and Road Initiative inherits and carries forward the Silk Road spirit, opening a new chapter in the development of globalization.

Amara, President of the Union of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions of Africa and President of Morocco’s Economic, Social and Environmental Council, stated that holding this conference in Xi'an perfectly embodies the forum's goal of promoting peace and benefiting the people. The Silk Road brought prosperity to the regions along its route and fostered dialogue between civilizations and cultures.

Senator Lopreiato, head of the Italian parliamentary friendship association of Inter-Parliamentary Union, highly praised the significant progress achieved in trade, investment cooperation, and cultural exchanges between Italy and China under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Dai Dongchang, CPPCC National Committee member and former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Transport, introduced the new progress made by countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative in the transportation sector: the "four-in-one" interconnected network of land, sea, air, and digital connectivity is becoming increasingly dense, and the vision of smooth flow of people and goods is gradually becoming reality.

Wang Zhigang, member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC and former Minister of Science and Technology, stated that China has thoroughly implemented the Belt and Road Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Action Plan, having signed intergovernmental science and technology cooperation agreements with over 80 partner countries, and jointly launched the establishment of more than 70 Belt and Road joint laboratories with relevant countries.

Wu Wei, President of the Singapore-China Economic, Trade, Science, Technology, Culture and Education Exchange Association, shared the successful cooperation experience between Singapore and China in advancing Belt and Road Initiative development.

As hosts, Zhao Yide, Secretary of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, Xu Xinrong, Chairman of the Shaanxi Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Xiao Qi, Deputy Mayor of Xi'an, respectively expressed their achievements and visions for implementing the Global Civilization Initiative, strengthening exchanges and cooperation with various countries, and jointly building the Belt and Road.

Promoting Civilizational Development and Progress and Advancing the Building of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind

The concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind has forged a value consensus among people of different ethnicities, faiths, cultures, and regions, and has drawn upon the outstanding achievements of the world's diverse civilizations in their mutual integration and interconnection.

President Xi Jinping pointed out: "Humanity lives in the same global village, in the same time and space where history and reality converge, and is increasingly becoming a community with a shared future in which our destinies are intertwined."

Tuo Zhen, CPPCC National Committee member and former president of People's Daily, said that the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind is a major original idea proposed by President Xi Jinping, which has been incorporated into UN General Assembly resolutions for eight consecutive years and has been written into resolutions or declarations of multilateral mechanisms on multiple occasions.

Duishkul, advisor to the director of the Strategic Research Institute under the President of Kyrgyzstan, stated that China has established comprehensive strategic partnerships with all five Central Asian countries. The China-Central Asia mechanism championed by China serves as an important cooperation platform, with a cooperation secretariat established in Xi'an to provide effective institutional support for exchanges and cooperation.

Yuan Bingzhong, CPPCC National Committee member and former deputy director-general of Xinhua News Agency, introduced how Confucius Institutes around the world serve as vibrant platforms for equal cultural dialogue and mutual learning among nations, promoting encounters, dialogue, mutual learning, integration, and harmonious interaction among different civilizations.

Soldunova, Chairwoman of the Committee for the Development of the Non-profit Sector of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, displayed a panda stamp at the forum meeting. She said that in 2019, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and China, Moscow Zoo welcomed two giant pandas from China. This has become yet another bridge fostering cultural and people-to-people exchanges between Russia and China.

Wu Weishan, a Standing Committee member of the CPPCC and former director of the National Art Museum of China, has had his sculptural works collected by more than 30 countries and regions.

Luo Zhaohui, CPPCC National Committee member, former director of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, spoke with great familiarity about China's "small but beautiful" livelihood projects carried out abroad, spanning from Asia to Africa, from Latin America to the South Pacific.

Kong Quan, Standing Council Member of the China Economic and Social Council and former Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPPCC, said that President Xi Jinping's proposal of the Global Civilization Initiative conveys to the world China's sincere desire to work with all countries to safeguard the diversity of world civilizations, promote exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations, and advance the development and progress of human civilization.

Beijing Changier Education Foundation: Embedding from a Social Organization Perspective

Promoting mutual learning among civilizations and community building

As one of the participating social organization representatives, Beijing Changier Education Foundation focuses on the implementation chain of "civilizational mutual learning and people-to-people connectivity" at the youth and family levels. Zhang Yinjun stated: "The implementation of macro-civilizational initiatives requires sustained efforts in micro-level domains such as early childhood education, mental health support, family function restoration, and cross-cultural emotional understanding."

The Foundation's "Maternal Love Academy" system follows a stepped practical pathway of "interest introduction—emotional establishment—capability empowerment—family transformation—community diffusion—data feedback", seeking to integrate emotional connections and shared values into courses, activities, and community support, while exploring the integration of maternal education, parent-child engagement, and culturally sensitive teaching through preliminary exchanges with Southeast Asia and other regions. This micro-level social innovation echoes the forum's advocacy of "fostering mutual learning among civilizations through people-to-people exchanges".

During the sub-topic interactions and side event exchanges, President Zhang Yinjun paid particular attention to:

l Experience mapping of poverty reduction and child development projects: how to leverage data to consolidate impact

l Technology and public communication: adapting digital tools for mental health and family education outreach

l Multi-contextual curriculum localization: ensuring core value alignment while preserving cultural diversity in expression.

These observations provide valuable insights for the foundation's future international collaboration and optimization of assessment systems.

Closing Remarks

Building greatness through small steps, nurturing the "foundation of public trust"

Damin, Associate Director of the China-Argentina Research Center at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, and Member of the Latin American Center for Chinese Political and Economic Studies

Duishkul, Advisor to the Director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Hudson, Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, Emeritus Professor at Charles Sturt University (first from left)

Xyraphis, Secretary-General of the International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions and Secretary-General of the Economic and Social Council of Greece

Mora, Researcher, China-Veracruz Studies Center of the University of Veracruz, Mexico

Phinij, Former Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Thai-Chinese Cultural Promotion Committee

Yudhoyono, Vice Chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly of Indonesia (center)

Kumiko Haba, Former Vice President of the International Studies Association, Professor Emeritus at Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan, Scholar of International Politics

The forum concluded with a consensus on "open cooperation, mutual learning and exchange, and joint promotion of development". The participants emphasized that in the face of global challenges, the diversity of civilizations is a shared asset, and people-to-people bonds serve as enduring support. Through observation, learning and exchange, Beijing Changier Education Foundation has deepened its understanding of the pathways that link macro-level initiatives with grassroots practices. It will transform "civilizational exchange" into an endogenous driving force for promoting adolescent physical and mental health and innovation in family education. In the context of our era of "shared destiny", it will continue to expand the public value of social organizations with a long-term commitment.