China, being a nation more open to the outside world at the thresholds of the new century, is willing to join all other countries in providing a platform for the dialogues between diversified cultures and civilizations in Asia and Europe, a senior cultural official said in Beijing Thursday.

During a conference on cultures and civilizations, the first within the framework of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), Minister of Culture Sun Jiazheng told Xinhua in an interview that the Asian and European countries not only keep the uniqueness but shared identical or similar things in their cultures, and it was a popular trend for those diverse cultures to co-exist with mutual exchange in the contemporary world, which is faced with speeding globalization.

The two-day conference was proposed by former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji at the fourth ASEM summit in Copenhagen in 2002 with the theme of "unity in diversity". Approximately 200 representatives from 26 ASEM members attended the current conference.

Acknowledging that the guidelines of the conference coincided with China's long-standing philosophical thinking, Sun said the ideas of "unity in diversity" would help provide new thought and opportunities for the cultural progress in Asia and Europe.

The 5,000-year history of Chinese culture has precisely been developed and progressed through the interaction of varied schools of thought as well as the exchanges and study of cultures in all countries the world over, he recalled.

The conference, the largest cultural ministerial meeting of its kind ever held in China, "will help further increase mutual trust and understanding between ASEM members and lay a sound foundation for a new and all-round Asian-European partnership," the minister said.

To date, Asian and European nations enjoyed great potential and bright prospects in their cultural exchanges, Sun added, and China was fully confident of establishing and conducting long-term, stable, equal and harmonious cultural exchanges and cooperation among the Asian and European countries.

The conference is aimed at boosting constructive and consultative dialogues among different cultures and civilizations in Asia and Europe, thus enhancing and promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the people of the two continents, and helping them achieve common development based on diversified cultures.
 
(Xinhua News Agency December 4, 2003)