The 2026 commemoration, organised by the Embassy, was held at the Charles Jow Memorial Academy and brought together officials from the UN office in Banjul, embassy staff, and students.
The minister emphasised the need to build mutual respect and promote harmonious coexistence among civilisations, insisting that no civilisation is superior to another. He described diversity as a defining feature of the world and recalled that three years ago, President Xi Jinping launched the Global Civilisation Initiative (GCI), which calls for civilisations to live together in harmony.
He noted that the International Day of Dialogue Among Civilisations, designated by the United Nations on 10 June each year, was established in line with the GCI and has been warmly welcomed by the international community. Last year, China, together with the UN and other organisations, held events worldwide to mark the first celebration of the day, which he said demonstrated “overwhelming support and strong momentum” for dialogue among civilisations.
“Today, human civilisation is grappling with unprecedented challenges. Division and confrontation continue to escalate, turmoil and conflict keep emerging,” Wang Yi said. He warned that the international rule of law is being eroded and trust gaps are widening, adding: “We must improve mutual understanding and trust through more dialogue and build solidarity and consensus through more exchanges.”
He argued that these are the building blocks of a community with a shared future for humanity, urging the world to champion mutual respect and reject superiority, arrogance, and high handedness.
Wang Yi challenged nations to rise above notions of “civilisational superiority” and the “clash of civilisations,” instead striving for coexistence and mutual enrichment. “We should view our planet as a garden in which all civilisations bloom and learn to appreciate each other’s beauty,” he said.
He stressed that people are the makers of history and the key interlocutors in inter civilisational dialogue, calling for enhanced mutual understanding and broader access to the benefits of exchanges.
China, he added, has adopted visa free policies and other facilitation measures to promote civilisational exchanges, and stands ready to work with other countries to strengthen dialogue, share governance experience, and pursue modernisation together.
“All human civilisations are rich and splendid and deserve to be preserved and revitalised by creative means,” Wang Yi said. He highlighted China’s commitment to protecting its cultural heritage sites while supporting other nations in creatively transforming their traditions.
He noted that artificial intelligence and social media present new opportunities for dialogue across countries, languages, and cultures. “We should fully tap into these technologies to empower civilizational exchanges, mutual learning, inheritance, and innovation, and promote the shared prosperity of human civilisations,” he added.
Wang Yi reaffirmed China’s support for the UN’s role in promoting dialogue among civilisations, as well as platforms such as UNESCO, the UN Alliance of Civilisations, and the Ancient Civilisations Forum. He pledged continued funding for UN bodies engaged in this work.
“Civilisation, like water, silently nurtures all things; dialogue, like a bridge, brings the world together,” he said, adding that Chinese civilisation, spanning 5,000 years, is noted for its continuity, creativity, unity, inclusiveness, and peacefulness.
He concluded by assuring that China is ready to work with all civilisations to “illustrate the path forward, drive progress through dialogue and mutual learning, and create a brighter future for all humanity.”
