Speaking at the opening of the 2026 China International Confucius Cultural Festival and the 2026 Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, east China’s Shandong Province. Khalid Hammes, a prominent Moroccan sinologist and professor of finance at Mohammed V University in Rabat, highlighted Morocco's identity as a crossroads of Arab, North African and European influences. Drawing on historical figures like Ibn Battuta and the enduring principles of Confucianism, he emphasized that civilizational dialogue – rather than zero-sum competition – offers a path toward inclusive growth, good governance and peaceful conflict resolution among nations.