A view of the Forbidden City along the Beijing Central Axis, a World Heritage Site. Photo: VCG

Editor's Note:
In today's world, where the futures of all countries are closely linked, development, security and civilization play important roles in promoting the modernization process of human society. The Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI) and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, offer profound insights into the issues of our time. The Global Times invites scholars to provide readers both at home and abroad with an in-depth understanding of these three initiatives. This is the fourth article in the series.


Civilizations are enriched through exchanges and diversified through mutual learning. In March 2014, President Xi Jinping emphasized at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris that "exchanges and mutual learning form an important drive for human progress and global peace and development." The Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) represents a further development of this thought. In March 2023, President Xi proposed the GCI at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting, with the first point stating: "We advocate the respect for the diversity of civilizations. Countries need to uphold the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations, and let cultural exchanges transcend estrangement, mutual learning transcend clashes, and coexistence transcend feelings of superiority."

The World Heritage List: an important platform showcasing human civilization diversity

The UNESCO World Heritage program, based on the Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, serves as an important platform for showcasing the diversity of human civilization and promoting mutual understanding, respect, and dialogue between cultures. As of August 2024, 196 countries have joined the Convention, with 1,223 sites from 168 countries listed as World Heritage.

The significance of World Heritage extends beyond mere protection. The UNESCO World Heritage refers to its five C's, which constitute the "strategic objectives" of the World Heritage Convention: credibility, conservation, capacity-building, communication and communities. The fifth "C," which was added in 2007, refers to the important role of the communities in establishing the World Heritage List and in the daily management, promotion and development of World Heritage. These initiatives have further highlighted the contemporary value of World Heritage.

The World Heritage List reflects global recognition and appreciation of different cultures, showcasing the achievements of human civilization. It also embodies the contemporary value and significance of these civilizations, prompting a strong desire among countries to include their heritage on the World Heritage List.

According to the regional classification of World Heritage, the world is divided into five regions: Europe and North America, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and the Arab States. The Europe and North America region, representing Western civilization, holds a significant numerical advantage on the World Heritage List, which undoubtedly illustrates the recognition of Western culture in today's world.

The Asia and Pacific region has the second-largest number of inscribed cultural sites. Meanwhile, recently, the Arab States region has shown strong growth in its representation on the World Heritage List.

For various reasons, Africa's heritage has long been relatively underrepresented on the World Heritage List. In response, UNESCO has prioritized Africa, urging contracting states to support capacity building for the protection of World Heritage on the continent and to engage in cooperative management efforts. This collaboration fosters dialogue between civilizations and promotes mutual learning among cultures. Additionally, China is involved in enhancing cooperation with Africa in the realm of World Heritage.

China's World Heritage projects systematically showcase Chinese civilization

China joined the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1985 and is now the country with the second -largest number of World Heritage Sites. After nearly 40 years of development, China's World Heritage projects have begun to systematically represent Chinese civilization. This representation encompasses a range of historical periods, from prehistoric civilizations to various dynasties and modern times, as well as traditional belief systems, the cultural diversity of its multi-ethnic society, regional cultural diversity, and the great achievements of ancient engineering.

The Beijing Central Axis, added to the World Heritage List in 2024, is a masterpiece of China's ideal urban order. It showcases the enduring influence of traditional planning concepts and their underlying philosophical ideas on the city's layout, highlighting the continuity of Chinese civilization. In the context of World Heritage, although there has been a focus since the 1990s on the role of heritage in witnessing the continuity of civilization and cultural traditions, there are few practical cases that express this continuity through heritage. The components of the Beijing Central Axis, spanning from the 13th century to the early 21st century, represent a breakthrough in existing evaluation standards.

The process of nominating the Beijing Central Axis for World Heritage status is a successful example of value communication and international exchange. During this process, the value expressed in the application text for the Beijing Central Axis was not only understood and recognized by representatives from various countries on the World Heritage Committee, international expert consultants, and UNESCO officials, but the nomination effort also received their support.

China's World Heritage Sites clearly express the common human values of upholding the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilizations

In 2017, Gulangyu island in East China's Fujian Province, renowned for its varied architecture and multicultural history, was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The value of Gulangyu island emphasizes its presentation of extensive and in-depth exchanges between Chinese traditional culture, local culture and diverse foreign cultures in social life, architectural garden design and construction, artistic style, and modern technology. This serves as a concentrated expression of the exchange, mutual learning, and integration of human values in the coastal areas of East Asia and Southeast Asia during the early stages of globalization. 

As the world enters the second decade of the 21st century, various conflicts have created significant uncertainty. The value of Gulangyu island clearly exemplifies the inclusiveness of Chinese civilization and sets an example for mutual respect and dialogue among different civilizations today.

Director-general of UNESCO Irina Bokova once commented: "Although Gulangyu island is small in area, it is of great value and profound cultural heritage, which reflects the dialogue between different cultures and faiths. This dialogue can help people all over the world understand and practice the value of respect and tolerance and appreciate diversity. This is an important classroom for global citizenship."

In summary, World Heritage serves as an important platform for dialogue and mutual understanding among civilizations as well as the main stage for implementing GCI. China's World Heritage showcases the country's historical and cultural values, promotes global understanding of Chinese civilization, and fosters China's appreciation of other civilizations. 

The author is the group leader for text compiling on the Beijing Central Axis World Heritage application team and director of the National Heritage Center of Tsinghua University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn