Kuala Lumpur, March 28th—Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended here today the Silk Road and Asian Civilization Forum and delivered a keynote speech. The forum was hosted by the Friends of Silk Road Club of Malaysia and co-organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture of Malaysia. Fadillah Yusof, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister, Liew Chin Tong, Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia, Wee Ka Siong, President of the Malaysian Chinese Association, and over 300 representatives from various diplomatic corps in Malaysia and various sectors of Malaysia also attended the forum.  

Liu said, Asia is an important cradle of human civilization. For thousands of years, along the ancient trade routes such as the Silk Road, the peoples of Asian countries have exchanged goods and ideas and enjoyed friendly exchanges. The Chinese, Islamic and Indian civilizations and other civilizations have integrated and developed through exchanges and mutual learning with each other and with other civilizations worldwide, forming rich and diverse Asian civilizations. The Silk Road has also become a symbol of the integration and coexistence of Asian civilizations with the rest of the world.  

Liu said, Asian civilizations contain valuable wisdom and ideas, which provide us with unique inspiration to solve today's global challenges. We should uphold the spirit of openness, respect the diversity of civilizations in the world, understand the values of different civilizations with broad-mindedness, reject the dichotomic zero-sum mindset, oppose the imposition of one country's values and models on others, resist ideological confrontation, and work together to build a better world based on the principles of mutual respect, equal treatment, coexistence and win-win cooperation.  

Liu said, both China and Malaysia are Asian countries with diverse ethnicities and cultures. During President Xi Jinping's meeting with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim last year, they reached important consensus on promoting Asian civilizations. We are ready to work with the Malaysian side to promote the creative transformation and development of outstanding traditional cultures in the process of modernization, provide Asian solutions to address prominent challenges in global governance, and contribute Asian wisdom and strength to the building of a new type of international relations.  

Fadillah Yusof, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister, the famous Islamic scholar Osman, and Ananda Pokhrel, former minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation of Nepal, delivered speeches at the forum. They said, the ancient Silk Road opened a trade process of global significance and promoted exchanges and mutual learning among ancient civilizations in the world. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China has continued the spirit of the ancient Silk Road. It has not only promoted trade connectivity, but also become an important platform for policy coordination, facilities connectivity, financial integration and people-to-people bond among countries. President Xi Jinping's proposal of the Global Civilization Initiative has pointed out a path for the world that is completely different from the theory of clash of civilizations, and has also given new connotation to the Belt and Road Initiative. Asian countries should have greater confidence in Asia's values and development path, promote Asia's prosperity and development, and contribute Asia's strength to the common development of mankind.  

Ouyang Yujing, Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia, attended and addressed the forum.