On June 10, 2025, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Palace Museum, Beijing Service Bureau for Diplomatic Missions（BDS）, the Palace Museum and the Photo World magazine of Xinhua News Agency jointly hosted the Fifth Diplomats’ Day at the Palace Museum. Director General of BDS Zhou Xisong, Director of the Palace Museum Wang Xudong, Vice President of Xinhua News Agency Xi Yanchun, Director of Center for Europe and Asia of China International Communications Group (CICG) Jiang Yonggang, and more than 40 senior diplomats from over 30 countries including Croatia, Bahrain and Samoa attended the event to experience fine traditional Chinese culture and discuss  mutual learning and exchange of civilizations.

Group Photo

Zhou Xisong stated that the world is a place of diverse civilizations in nature, and different civilizations encounter each other and complement one another, jointly forming the splendid and colorful garden of human civilization. The series activities of Diplomats’ Day at the Palace Museum, jointly hosted by BDS and the Palace Museum, allow diplomats to China deeply taste the enchantment of the Palace Museum as a carrier of Chinese 5000 years of civilizations and a place for diverse cultural exchanges and integration. As an important IP of the great traditional Chinese culture, the Palace Museum has been deeply implanted to the heart of diplomats. It is hoped that this event could make contribution to the implementation of Global Civilization Initiative and promotion of exchanges and mutual learning.

Zhou Xisong Delivered the Address

Wang Xudong said that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Palace Museum, and it is of special significance to experience and discuss the topics of enhancing cross-cultural cooperation and promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations with diplomats on the first UN International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations. The Palace Museum is willing to join hands with like-minded friends around the world to practice the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and contribute to the harmonious coexistence of civilizations and global peace and development.

Xi Yanchun pointed out that as a state news agency of China and one of the world’s most influential news agencies, Xinhua News Agency has always been a recorder and disseminator for promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and also dedicates to build a bridge to connect China and the world. This dialogue has created a rare opportunity for diplomats from different countries to discuss the diversity and commonalities of human civilizations, gathering wisdom and strength for building a more harmonious and better world.

Diplomats attending the event gained an in-depth appreciation of the ancient imperial palace complex, which is the most intact and largest in scale preserved along Beijing's central axis. They also attended the themed dialogue session titled Exchanges and Mutual Learning of Civilizations in the Forbidden City, engaging in full exchanges with authoritative experts to learn about China's achievements and experience in promoting the inheritance and development of civilizations and strengthening international cultural cooperation.

The guests expressed that through innovative means such as technology and exhibition, they had an immersive experience of how the Forbidden City has been injecting the development concept of harmony without uniformity into the world over the past century. China's successful experience in safeguarding and prospering the root of Chinese civilization shows that only through openness can we achieve continuous progress, and only through cooperation can we move forward steadily and further. They are looking forward to working hand in hand with China to jointly promote civilization dialogue and mutual learning to play a more stabilizing role in the world today.

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Beijing Service Bureau of Diplomatic Missions

June 12, 2025