This photo shows copies of the think tank report "Theory on the Development of Civilizations -- Building a New Vision of Civilizations with Development at the Core." The report was released by Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency, at the International Academic Symposium on Xi Jinping Thought on Culture held in Guangzhou of south China's Guangdong Province on Saturday. The theory emphasizes the independence, inclusiveness and innovation of civilizations, with governance for the people as the foundation of development. The report states that the theory shapes a new paradigm for human civilization. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

GUANGZHOU, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A think tank report released Saturday expounds on building a new vision of civilizations with development at the core.

The report, titled "Theory on the Development of Civilizations -- Building a New Vision of Civilizations with Development at the Core," was released by Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency, at the International Academic Symposium on Xi Jinping Thought on Culture held in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province.

The theory emphasizes the independence, inclusiveness and innovation of civilizations, with governance for the people as the foundation of development, according to the report, which describes this theory as shaping a new paradigm for human civilization.

Chinese civilization has provided a model, rich in Eastern wisdom, for the advancement of human civilization, the report argues, adding that it has formed a path for systematic civilizational advancement characterized by economic prosperity, political integrity, effective governance, cultural self-confidence, social stability, ecological beauty, and promotion of peace through diplomacy.

Explaining the essence of Chinese modernization as a dual process of "civilizational development" and "developing civilization," the report notes that it breaks through the linear development logic of traditional modernization theories, establishing a new vision of civilizations with development at the core.

Nearly 110 experts and guests from multiple countries and regions, all studying Xi Jinping Thought on Culture and Chinese civilization, attended the event.

Speaking at the symposium, Huang Kunming, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Guangdong Provincial Committee, said that Guangdong will continue to stimulate cultural innovation and creativity, focus on expanding international cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, and strive to become an important window showcasing the beauty of Chinese civilization.

To promote cultural advancement and civilizational progress, it is all the more important to adopt an open attitude toward all civilizations and work together to cultivate and nurture the vibrant garden of human civilizations, said Hong Dayong, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee.

In his speech, Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, pledged that the agency will strive to tell well the stories of inheriting and developing fine traditional Chinese culture, as well as the exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese civilization and others worldwide, and make greater contributions to promoting cultural development and prosperity.

Gao Song, president of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, said that in the future, the university will promote mutual learning among civilizations while establishing an independent system of discourse, thereby providing strong support for the development of a culturally strong nation.

Tursunali Kuziev, first deputy director of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan, emphasized at the event the need to further promote mutual learning among civilizations amid profound changes, saying that this idea is conducive to building a community with a shared future for humanity.

The attendees agreed that studying Xi Jinping Thought on Culture helps strengthen exchanges between China and the rest of world, promotes mutual learning among civilizations, and contributes to creating a better future for humanity.

The symposium was jointly organized by the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Culture of Xinhua Branch, Sun Yat-sen University, and the Publicity Department of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee. It also featured four sub-forums focusing on topics such as the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, and mutual learning among civilizations and international cultural exchanges. ■

Full text: Theory on the Development of Civilizations -- Building a New Vision of Civilizations with Development at the Core

Scholars from home and abroad attend the International Academic Symposium on Xi Jinping Thought on Culture held in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 27, 2025. A report, titled "Theory on the Development of Civilizations -- Building a New Vision of Civilizations with Development at the Core," was released by Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency, at the symposium held here on Saturday.

The theory emphasizes the independence, inclusiveness and innovation of civilizations, with governance for the people as the foundation of development. The report states that the theory shapes a new paradigm for human civilization. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)