On September 28, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Beijing. In this meeting, Xi stated that his country is willing to increase cooperation with UNESCO and contribute to world peace and development. [1]
Stating that China has always supported the work of UNESCO, Xi stated that this cooperation is very valuable in preserving world peace and promoting global development in the historical process. He also emphasized that within the framework of this positive cooperation, the parties have created a platform based on understanding, respecting and cooperation between different cultures around the world.
With thousands of years of history, China has made significant contributions to world civilization with its rich cultural heritage and deep roots. In this context, Xi noted the need to continuously increase the capacity to protect cultural heritage and promote cultural diversity in close cooperation with UNESCO.
Believing that this cooperation offers an opportunity to increase mutual understanding and interaction between different civilizations, Xi stated that China’s population is more than 1.4 billion and the development and prosperity of this large population is an important contribution to the progress of world civilization[2]
China is determined to build a great modern socialist country in line with the goals of sustainable development in social, economic and cultural fields, and aims to achieve this goal through science and education. Xi emphasized China’s determination to contribute to global development and drew attention to the importance of working with UNESCO to protect cultural heritage and develop international cooperation in the fields of education, science, technology and culture. [3]
By cooperating with UNESCO, China aims to achieve improvements in culture and education around the world and make positive contributions to world peace. UNESCO Director-General Audrey welcomed Xi’s statements and thanked China for its support. He emphasized the importance of the UNESCO Award for the Education of Women and Girls, jointly established by China and UNESCO, which promotes women’s education, and noted the impact of this award on increasing educational opportunities around the world.
Audrey expressed that they intend to cooperate more with China in the fields of cultural heritage protection, science, culture and technology, wishing for the continuation of this important cooperation. It can be said that China and UNESCO hope to further strengthen cooperation in order to promote global peace and development, and aim to continue their efforts to create greater understanding and consensus at the international level. In this way, it can be argued that they plan to help build a better future around the world.
Xi’s stated intention to cooperate with UNESCO to preserve cultural heritage and increase understanding between different civilizations points to the importance of cultural dialogue to ensure global peace and stability. Xi’s statements emphasize that China has cultural richness and historical roots and draws attention to the need to protect cultural heritage. This demonstrates China’s sensitivity to its cultural identity and historical heritage and emphasizes the importance of cultural diversity.
This meeting also reveals that UNESCO and China aim to cooperate in the field of education. In particular, the award program for the education of women and girls is an important step towards gender equality and justice in education by contributing to increasing educational opportunities.
Consequently, such international cooperation and dialogues play a critical role in preserving cultural heritage and promoting cultural diversity. China’s commitment to cooperate with UNESCO underscores the importance of cultural heritage and different civilizations understanding, respecting and cooperating with each other. Such collaborations can contribute to ensuring peace and stability around the world and promoting sustainable development
[1] “Xi: China Willing to Enhance Cooperation with UNESCO to Advance World Peace, Development”, CGTN News, https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-09-28/Chinese-President-Xi-meets-UNESCO-Director-General-Audrey-Azoulay-1ntbCOE9kYM/index.html, (Erişim Tarihi: 01.10.2023).
[2] Aynı yer.
[3] Aynı yer.
