Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Greece from Nov. 10 to 12. As the first visit by a Chinese head of state to Greece in 11 years, it has pulled closer the two ancient civilizations and tightened their bond of cultural exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation.
During the visit, Xi and his Greek counterpart Prokopis Pavlopoulos agreed to consolidate political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation and promote dialogue among civilizations, in a bid to contribute the wisdom of ancient Eastern and Western civilizations to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
The ancient Greek is the cradle of European civilization, whereas the Chinese civilization is also a symbol of the Oriental civilization. Great civilizations have much in common to offer each other, understand each other better and stand by each other. Sino-Greek friendship is not only cooperation between the two countries, but also a dialogue between the two major civilizations.
President Xi stressed that China and Greece should set an example of friendship, mutual trust, mutual benefit and win-win results, an example that promotes Sino-European cooperation in an open and practical manner, an example of cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and an example of coordination and cooperation in safeguarding multilateralism, charting the course for the healthy development of Sino-Greek friendship in the new era.
Exchanges and mutual learning are essential to the development of civilizations. The consensus reached by the two heads of state on civilization exchanges and the resonance between the two countries in the civilization dialogues highlighted the visit.
As Pavlopoulos said, both Greece and China stand for the principles that different civilizations seek common ground while reserving differences, draw on each other's merits, carry out communication and dialogue and co-exist peacefully.
The world today is undergoing major changes unseen in a century. President Xi's visit has taken cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and Greece onto a new level.
The two countries will keep giving play to their respective cultural advantages to blaze a path for harmonious co-existence of all civilizations and countries, and offer more inspirations for world peace and human progress