Participation of Ambassador/Dr. Ezzat Saad on the Conference on “Dialogue of Asian Civilizations … Denouncing any attempts to claim the supremacy of a particular civilization or culture over others

 The opening of the conference, which witnessed the participation of a number of presidents from Asia, Africa and Europe, took place on May 15^th , 2019 morning, with a speech given by the Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which he underlined that “it is foolish to believe the claim that one’s race and civilization are superior on the others”. Moreover, it is disastrous to willfully reshape or even replace other civilizations, he added. He also highlighted the importance of mutual respect and equal treatment among civilizations, pointing out that the Chinese civilization seeks the good of its neighbors and the maintenance of harmony with all nations, as this is the Chinese way to engage with the world.

• Likewise, the Presidents of Greece, Sri Lanka, Singapore and the King of Cambodia also gave speeches in the opening session about the Asian civilizations and the importance of dialogue among civilizations in general, while denouncing any attempts to claim the supremacy of a particular civilization or culture over others.

They also stressed the importance of having an international cooperation achieved among different civilizations and cultures, within a framework of mutual respect, regardless of the number of people belonging to any of it.

• The co-chairmanship of a session on “Asian Civilizations and the Development of Contemporary Asia”, held on the first day of the Conference:

1. Ambassador Ezzat Saad, Director of the Council, along with the Director of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, co-chaired a session on “Asian Civilizations and the Development of Contemporary Asia”.

In this session, seven participants talked about various economic, developmental and social issues related to the Chinese experience and its related regional impacts, the interplay between the continent’s civilizations, and how does Europe and the western Christian civilization see it.

2. Ambassador Saad also participated in a session, the following day, by introducing a paper on “Dialogue of Asian Civilizations … and the Concept of Building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind”, in the context of China’s relations with the Middle East, through which he presented the China-Arab civilizations coexistence throughout history, with the ancient Silk Road being one of its manifestations and through which the Chinese civilization interacted with its Islamic and Arab counterparts.

Then, he addressed the concept of “Building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind” in the political thought of the Chinese President Xi Jinping, and finally China’s relations with the Middle East Region and what Beijing can offer to restore peace and stability in this Area on one hand, and achieving economic and social development therein, on the other hand.

• Participating in a seminar at The Institute of West Asian, Middle East and African Studies at The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, May 17^th , 2019, morning:

1. A number of important issues were addressed including the Deal of the Century, the US withdrawal from the Middle East from the Chinese point of view, as well as the Chinese cooperation in relation to maintaining security in the Red Sea, the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb, the Gulf of Aden and the Chinese military base in Djibouti in addition to the Israeli reservation about establishing Chinese military bases in the region thus affecting the qualitative superiority of Israel military power in this region.

2. Furthermore, Chinese investments in Israel were also discussed (in the port of Haifa, in particular) and the facts about Netanyahu welcoming such investments despite US criticism.

• Participating in a seminar at The University of International Relations on the security situation in Asia: The Opportunities, Challenges and Civilizations in the context of Modernization … Heritage and Renovation:

The seminar had seen, from the Chinese side, the participation of Professor DA Wei, Vice-President of the University, and Mr. Wei Chunjiang, Secretary of the Communist Party at the University, in addition to a number of professors.

The discussions held included the bilateral Sino-Russian relations within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the North Korean nuclear issue and the Chinese role in this regard.

 Ambassador Saad spoke about the geopolitical rivalry in Eurasia, the Turkish role in the region, the linkage between the security in Central Asia and the developments in Afghanistan and the need to restore stability there. Moreover, the difficulties associated with the North Korean nuclear issue, especially that the Korean leadership lacks confidence in the intentions of the United States in light of the western policy towards Gaddafi’s Libya and Iraq during Saddam’s reign, as well as the withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal last year.