Scholars and officials from across the world gathered in the Chinese coastal city of Taizhou on Saturday for an annual forum marking the concept of harmony and cooperation, with a strong call for mutual understanding and win-win partnerships to tackle common challenges.
Hundreds of international guests from more than 30 countries attended the 2024 Global Forum on HeHe Culture in Taizhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. The theme for this year's event was "Harmony Culture and the New Form of Human Civilization."
HeHe, a concept rooted in Confucian thought, embodies the ideals of harmony and cooperation.
"We are now at a critical time in the prelude to a great change that has not been seen for a century. It is of great significance for us to advocate the concept of HeHe (harmony and cooperation) at this point, in the hope of building an ideal order for the future by discussing with all peoples in a harmonious and collaborative way. It is not only an ideal goal, but also a realistic methodology," said Peng Yongjie, president of the Confucius Institute of Renmin University of China, in an interview with China Central Television on the sidelines of the forum.
In addressing the forum, Yu Tao, deputy director-general of the Foreign Languages Bureau of China, stressed the growing significance of harmony and cooperation in a world fraught with risks.
"The culture of HeHe (harmony and cooperation) can nurture strengths for maintaining peace and tranquility, while promoting win-win cooperation and mutual exchange and learning among civilizations," Yu said.
Three international "ambassadors" who have contributed to the promotion of HeHe culture were named during the forum.
As the birthplace of HeHe culture, Taizhou signed an initiative to deep cultural, economic, and trade exchanges and cooperation with the mayors of 14 cities from more than 10 countries, including the United States, France, Germany, Spain, Poland, Greece and Serbia.
Guests were also invited to experience travel on high-speed trains and visit Taizhou's historical Jiazhi old street.
"Chinese civilization has always pursued peace and harmony. The culture of harmony has become a shining mark of Zhejiang's cultural lineage and an important driving force for social development here," said Wang Wenxu, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Zhejiang Provincial Committee, when addressing the event.
Experts underscore harmony, mutual understanding among civilizations at cultural forum
A new chapter has been opened in the decades-old campaign of fighting desertification in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as the 3,046-km green belt encircling the Taklimakan Desert in the region was completed on November 28, 2024.
The Taklimakan Desert, once known as the "sea of death," covers 337,600 square kilometers and its circumference measures 3,046 km, making it the largest desert in China and the second-largest drifting desert in the world.
It has taken more than 40 years to fully enclose the desert with a green belt. This incredible achievement is part of China's Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, the world's largest afforestation initiative. The program was launched in 1978 and is scheduled to be completed by 2050.
Xinjiang's commitment to fighting desertification did not waver following the green belt's completion. Instead, the region is continuing to expand and fortify the belt to achieve broader ecological management objectives.
Despite subzero temperatures and recent snowfall, the relentless work at the sand control site persists.
In Yutian County on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, workers are busy leveling a 530-hectare piece of sandy land for the forthcoming ecological conservation endeavors.
"It's been almost a month, and we'll work for another three or four days, and then we'll have leveled it out here," said a bulldozer driver working on-site.
In Luopu County also on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, workers are preparing red willow branches in nurseries for planting across more than 400 hectares of desert in the coming spring. Indigenous sand-fixing plants like sacsaoul and red willow are poised to assume important roles in fighting desertification the upcoming year.
The green belt surrounding the Taklimakan Desert not only emphasizes ecological conservation but also highlights economic progress. Through photovoltaic projects, the region is pioneering a novel ecological management strategy aimed at achieving dual objectives of environmental preservation and economic prosperity. This approach not only aids in fighting desertification, but also promises economic benefits, propelling sustainable development in the area.
Presently, the construction of a photovoltaic project within the Taklimakan Desert is busy underway, with workers installing solar panels. By spring, sand fixing plants like alfalfa and Chinese fountain grass will be planted below these panels, making the project a good example for the exploration of a new win-win model of ecological governance and economic development in Xinjiang.
Xinjiang opens new chapter in fighting desertification
