Beijing calls for dialogue between civilizations

China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Thursday emphasized the significance of a recent meeting between delegates of China and Arab states which was held amid escalating Palestine-Israel tensions, and called for strengthened dialogue between civilizations.

The 10th Symposium on China-Arab Relations and China-Arab Civilization Dialogue was held in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Participants called for enhanced exchanges between civilizations, and for peace talks and peaceful coexistence, Mao said at a regular news conference, calling the convening of the symposium "of significant relevance".

At the symposium, Special Envoy of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Issue Zhai Jun reiterated China's position on the Palestine-Israel conflict, which was highly recognized by Arab delegates, Mao said.

The symposium is an important event under the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, as well as an important platform for civilization exchanges between China and Arab states, Mao said.

"Exchanges between civilizations are an important means enabling human beings to rise above differences and achieve harmonious coexistence," she said.

The China-proposed Global Civilization Initiative contributes China's insights to the world in pursuing peace and development, Mao said. "Enhancing inter-civilization dialogue can be an effective remedy to fix the problem of confrontation and conflict."

China stands ready to work with Arab countries to act on the initiative, inject more stability into the world of change and turbulence, and tackle global challenges, Mao said.