Xi urges respect for other cultures

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called on every country to respect and learn from the culture of others.

"Culture is the soul of a nation," Xi said at the opening of an international meeting on ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius.

"If a country or a nation does not cherish its own thinking and culture, if they lose their soul, no matter which country or which nation, it will not be able to stand," he said.

Xi delivered a key-note speech at the International Conference in Commemorating the 2565th Anniversary of Confucius' birth and the fifth Congress of the International Confucian Association, which opened on Wednesday at the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing.

Countries must value and maintain their own thinking and culture, while recognizing and respecting others', Xi said.

Individual modes of thought are special in their different ways and there is no culture or thinking that is superior to others, according to the president.

Irrespective of their size and strength, all countries' thinking and cultures deserve to be recognized and respected, he said.

Xi stressed that to recognize and respect a country's own culture does not mean to close the door to others, neither does it mean to stand upon a principle of superiority.

"All countries and nations should learn and draw on the strength and quintessence of others' culture. This is an important condition to encourage dignity, confidence and strength of our own culture," the president urged.