Beijing, China – November 3, 2026 – The China International Publishing Center (CIPC) issued a press release here on Tuesday to promote an article written by Adham Sayed, a Lebanese Research Fellow at Zhejiang Gongshang University, Institute of East Asian Studies, on a shared future for humanity.
The full text of the article, named Toward a Shared Future for Humanity: Rethinking Civilizational Exchange, is as follows:
The world is undergoing a profound historical transformation, revealing growing contradictions between prevailing models of international relations and the trajectories of societal development. On the one hand, a unilateral model based on hegemony and war persists, having demonstrated its limitations in containing crises and, at times, contributed to their aggravation. At its root lies a civilizational assumption: that one model is superior and entitled to impose itself on others. On the other hand, an alternative horizon is emerging, seeking to build a more balanced and just international order founded on cooperation and integration and embodying the idea of a “shared future for humanity.”
Within this framework, the Global Civilization Initiative emerges as both a theoretical and practical entry point for re-examining the question of civilization. It does not regard civilizations as opposing or conflicting entities, but as interconnected historical processes nourished by exchange and mutual learning. It stands in contrast to theories of a “clash of civilizations” and claims of civilizational superiority, drawing instead on China’s civilizational heritage and a vision that sees diversity as a source of enrichment rather than division. As stated in Volume V of XI JINPING: THE GOVERNANCE OF CHINA., “The blossoming of one single flower does not mean that spring has come; it takes a hundred flowers to bring spring to the garden.” From this perspective, the initiative calls for respecting the diversity of human civilizations on the basis of equality, dialogue, inclusiveness, and mutual learning, while upholding the shared values of humanity, above all peace, development, fairness, and justice.
This vision reflects the nature of human civilization as an interconnected and cumulative process; no civilization has developed in isolation, but through openness to and interaction with others. Civilization, in this sense, is a living process that renews the legacy of the past in response to present needs and advances through interaction rather than domination; hence the initiative’s emphasis on safeguarding particularities while connecting heritage with innovation and expanding exchanges among peoples. Yet modern history has witnessed repeated attempts to impose a single model as a universal standard, marginalizing other civilizational experiences and weakening the prospects for equitable interaction among them. These attempts have been accompanied by structural imbalances in the international system, manifested in recurring crises and conflicts.
Contemporary crises therefore acquire a civilizational dimension that extends beyond their immediate political aspects. As a Lebanese writer who wrote these lines under fire, I observe that the peoples of the region seek an end to conflict, but peace cannot rest on the denial of rights: sustainable solutions must be just solutions that address the roots of conflict rather than impose the will of the stronger. Without these foundations, calls for civilizational dialogue risk remaining abstract principles detached from the lived realities of societies.
Beyond the cultural sphere, the Global Civilization Initiative forms part of a broader framework alongside the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative, which treat development, security, culture, and governance as a unified system. Each answers the logic of force in its own domain. In development, opportunities should be shared rather than monopolized, giving developing countries a greater role in growth and decision-making. In security, the principle of indivisible security holds that no state can secure itself at the expense of another. In culture, equality and mutual learning take the place of claims to superiority. In governance, broader participation replaces the dominance of a few.
Together, they give substance to the idea of a “community with a shared future for humanity” as a practical alternative to zero-sum competition and hegemonic logic. This vision affirms that conflicts are not inevitable destinies and can be resolved through dialogue, respect for international law, and settlements that restore rights rather than entrench imbalances of power.
Building a new world is not limited to economic and political transformation; it also requires a transformation in civilizational consciousness. The transition from the logic of conflict to the logic of interaction, and from imposing models to exchanging experiences, is a necessary condition for just and sustainable human progress. Justice is not an addition to this civilizational vision but its very substance: a world built on equality and mutual learning cannot accommodate occupation or the denial of peoples’ rights. At its core, the Global Civilization Initiative is not merely a cultural initiative, but a cornerstone of a broader project: a human community with a shared future, in which every people’s dignity is held equal.
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With the aim of promoting the innovation and development of outbound publications and international communication, the China International Publishing Center(CIPC) is committed to collaborating and gathering resources of all parties. The Center is committed to pooling resources to build a new platform for international communication and exchanges, tell the Chinese story of the new era to the world, for better exchanges and mutual understanding between Chinese and other civilizations.
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