On September 21, 2024, the opening ceremony of the 7th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo (hereinafter referred to as the SRDICE) was held in Dunhuang. Zheng Jianbang, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, delivered the keynote address and officially declared the event open. President Yang Wanming of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) attended and delivered a speech. At the invitation of the CPAFFC, ambassadors to China from Uruguay, Syria, Turkey, and Argentina, along with key representatives from multinational corporations, foreign chambers of commerce in China, and international non-governmental organizations, attended the opening ceremony. In his remarks, President Yang Wanming stated that Dunhuang culture embodies the Silk Road Spirit, characterized by “peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit”. He emphasized the need to maintain mutual communication and trust, which lays the foundation for peaceful cooperation. He called for cultural exchanges to serve as a bridge to enhance friendship among peoples, a driving force for the advancement of human society, and a bond for maintaining world peace. President Yang further underscored the importance of fostering mutual learning and deepening pathways for cultural exchanges to promote the harmonious coexistence of diverse civilizations. He urged the drawing of wisdom from each civilization’s ancient heritage and development practices to promote shared growth and prosperity. Additionally, he stressed the necessity of mutually beneficial cooperation, working together to share the fruits of prosperity and development, and contributing to the building of an open world economy that better benefits all people.
President Yang noted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the CPAFFC. CPAFFC is committed to working with all parties to write a new chapter for the Silk Road, characterized by mutual understanding and friendship among peoples, the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations, and win-win cooperation among countries. This will significantly contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind. In his address, Uruguayan Ambassador to China, Fernando Lugris, emphasized the importance of upholding multilateralism and strengthening cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to achieve global peace, development, prosperity, and modernization. He noted that Uruguay was the first country in Latin America and the Caribbean to express support for the BRI.
The first SRDICE was held in September 2016. In recent years, the CPAFFC has actively supported and participated in this event. This year’s SRDICE, themed “Implementing the Global Civilization Initiative, Deepening Exchanges and Mutual Learning among Civilizations”, attracted more than 800 guests from over 50 countries, regions, and international organizations.
