GCI: An initiative that transcends divides and promotes exchanges

Editor's note: Zheng Haizhen, a special commentator for CGTN, is an assistant researcher at the Department for Global Governance and International Organization Studies, China Institute of International Studies. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

On March 15, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), a call for promoting dialogue and mutual learning among different civilizations. The initiative advocates transcending estrangement through exchanges among civilizations, clashes through mutual learning and the sense of superiority through inclusiveness.  

Over the past three years, the GCI has steadily moved from vision to practice, becoming an important platform for promoting people-to-people exchanges globally and fostering harmony among civilizations.

Promoting exchanges and mutual learning  

This has been made possible through a series of practical measures. 

China has been optimizing its visa policies and facilitating cross-border travel, building bridges for people-to-people connectivity. At present, Beijing has agreements on mutual visa exemption with 159 countries and its 144-hour visa-free transit policy continues to expand, attracting a growing number of foreign visitors.  

In addition, China gives unilateral visa-free entry to citizens of 50 countries and has established mutual visa exemption arrangements with 29 countries. In 2025, 73% of the foreign visitors entered the country visa-free.  

Increased personnel exchanges not only boost tourism and consumption, but also allow more foreigners to see the real, vivid and multi-dimensional China through firsthand experience.  

Simultaneously, China is promoting international dissemination of its culture through innovative cultural expression. Traditional Chinese culture has been deeply integrated with modern creativity and digital technologies, creating cultural products that combine historical heritage with contemporary vitality.  

From cultural and creative products inspired by the iconic Palace Museum in Beijing to the viral popularity overseas of the dance performance Tang Palace Night Banquet, which combined traditional dance with 3D/augmented reality technology to create the experience of an ancient painting coming to life, Chinese culture has been revitalized and presented in diverse forms.  

The development of digital technologies has provided new momentum for cultural communication and exchange.

Chinese films have accelerated their "going global" efforts, promoting cultural exchange. In 2025, the animated film Ne Zha 2 grossed approximately $69 million in overseas markets, setting a new record for a Chinese film's overseas box office performance. The same year, the total overseas box office revenue of Chinese films exceeded 1 billion yuan ($144.9 million), and Chinese film festivals and exhibitions were held in more than 40 countries worldwide.

Chinese cinema is shifting from the overseas distribution of individual films to a more systematic form of international engagement involving industrial chains, market mechanisms and cultural narratives. Since 2026, Chinese films have been attracting attention overseas while performing strongly in the domestic market.  

Practice shows that people-to-people exchanges are an important way to enhance mutual understanding and remove misunderstandings. Through cooperation in education, culture, sports and tourism, China and other countries are expanding the breadth and depth of exchanges among civilizations.

The global significance of GCI

As practical cooperation continues to advance, the global significance of the GCI has become increasingly evident. On the one hand, the initiative contributes to enhance cultural soft power and strengthen international discourse power. Cultural communication determines influence, while discourse power determines initiative. By promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, China is enhancing its capacity for international communication and fostering greater understanding and consensus among different civilizations.  

For many developing countries, the initiative offers new ideas for moving beyond a single dominant narrative and promoting diverse cultural development.

On the other hand, it helps safeguard the diversity of world civilizations. The GCI emphasizes that every civilization is rooted in the historical and cultural traditions of its own nation and has unique value. The diversity of civilizations is both a fundamental feature of the world and an important source of human progress.  

The initiative provides new insights for countries exploring their own paths toward modernization. Different countries' modernization paths should be grounded in their own historical and cultural traditions rather than copying a single model. The GCI effectively challenges the misconception that modernization is equivalent to Westernization, and advocates a model of modernization characterized by peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation and shared prosperity.

In an era marked by uncertainty, the initiative builds bridges for dialogue among civilizations, provides intellectual guidance and practical pathways for building a community with a shared future for humanity, and injects sustained momentum for a more inclusive, peaceful and prosperous world.

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