Experts and scholars have lauded the speech delivered by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting on cultural inheritance and development on Friday, saying that the new thoughts and ideas put forward by President Xi are conducive to the course of building a modern Chinese civilization.

Noting that Xi urged efforts to create a new culture for the times with unwavering cultural confidence, a profound sense of mission and a spirit of relentless endeavor, they called for deepening understanding in cultural building to inject impetus into national rejuvenation.

Modern Chinese civilization is rooted in land and practice

The concept of modern Chinese civilization put forward by Xi at Friday's meeting is brand new and important, Yang Geng, a professor at Beijing Normal University, told CGTN, adding that the concept has both practical and academic significance.

"Modern Chinese civilization is rooted in the land of China and in the practice of Chinese modernization," Yang said, adding that Chinese culture appears on the world stage with a new attitude.

Fan Di'an, chairman of the China Artists Association, believes that Chinese modernization serves as a new stimulus for Chinese civilization and will enhance its connotation. Meanwhile, Chinese civilization provides powerful cultural support for Chinese modernization, which is the deepest and most permanent support.

"Xi's speech provides us with fundamental guidelines for continuing to promote the development of Chinese civilization in the new era," Fan told CGTN.

History tells people that nations that hold their cultures strongly progress and develop, said Abid Ghafoor Chaudhry, chairman of the Department of Anthropology at PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

He added that China's strong economy and ability to lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty are closely related to "the depth of Chinese civilization and culture."

Five prominent features of Chinese civilization 

Xi said in his remarks that Chinese civilization features consistency, originality, unity, inclusivity and peacefulness. Yang said these five prominent features accurately portray Chinese civilization and fundamentally determine that the Chinese nation must follow its own path.

Speaking of the consistency of Chinese civilization, Wang Wei, head of the Academic Division of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), told CGTN that understanding China's past is of great significance to understanding China at present and in the future.

Vice President of Peking University Wang Bo said the essence of innovation is to respond to the challenges of the times and constantly adapt to the changing world. Chinese civilization stretches back to ancient times, stands the test of history and is the only uninterrupted civilization in the world.

"Therefore, the consistent and innovative natures of Chinese civilization are spiritual characteristics of Chinese culture to uphold fundamental principles and break new ground," Wang said.

Noting that Chinese civilization is characterized by strong uniformity, which determines that national unification always stays at the heart of China's core interests, Xing Guangcheng, a senior researcher at the CASS, said it clearly pointed to the importance of maintaining national unity.

As for the features of inclusiveness and peacefulness, vice president of Tsinghua University Peng Gang said that since ancient times, various ethnic minority groups have been coexisting in China and making frequent exchanges, and they have eventually integrated.

"The rise of China and the modern development of Chinese civilization are based on its 5,000-year history. The inclusiveness and the peaceful nature of Chinese civilization are deeply rooted in the blood of our nation and are our cultural genes," Peng said, adding that such characteristics mean China will be a defender of world peace.

Cultural diversity enables the world to take on global challenges

In the face of pressing global challenges, from the outstanding characteristics of Chinese civilization to the strengths built by Chinese culture for China's progress and prosperity, experts believe that Chinese culture has not only promoted China's development but also contributed Chinese wisdom to the development of the world.

Despite the differences in cultures, human civilizations share certain common values which hold the key to successful interaction among civilizations, said Cavince Adhere, a Kenyan international relations scholar.

"Drawing from these values, cooperation among different countries is possible and solutions to key global challenges can be generated," Adhere said.

"China's efforts to promote both material and spiritual civilization is one of the enduring elements of its cultural innovation. Helping people to focus on material things while also strengthening their moral and spiritual well-being is an important part of creating a wholesome, balanced and sustainable society," he said.

To know China, one must know about its splendid civilization, the solid foundation for China to stand in the world, said Mazen Shamieh, a former assistant minister for the Palestinian Foreign Ministry.

Quoting the old Chinese saying, "A single flower does not make spring," Shamieh called on the international community to advocate respect for the diversity of civilizations, the common values of humanity and the importance of inheritance and innovation of civilizations, which are also underlined in the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) proposed by Xi.

The GCI takes into account the characteristics of different civilizations on the basis of building consensus, said Chea Munyrith, president of the Cambodian Chinese Evolution Researcher Association, adding that the new situation of cultural integration and people-to-people exchanges will make new and important contributions to promoting world peace and development, as well as building a community with a shared future for mankind.

(With input from Xinhua)