Page 8 - ON BUILDING A HUMAN COMMUNITY WITH A SHARED FUTURE

SPEECH AT THE UNESCO HEADQUARTERS

prosperous and strong, a nation that is reinvigorated, and a people
who are happy. It is a deep reflection of not only the ideal of today’s
Chinese but also of our proud tradition since time immemorial to work
tirelessly in the pursuit of progress.
To realize the Chinese Dream it will take the balanced development
and mutual reinforcement of material and cultural progress. Without
our civilization’s continuation and development, without culture that is
promoted and thrives, there will be no achieving this dream. Our Chinese
forebears yearned for a world of great harmony in which people are free
from want and the norms of morality are high. The Chinese civilization
has always viewed cultural life as part of an ideal life per se and an ideal
society. Thus, realizing the Chinese Dream is a process in which material
development and cultural development form an essential pair. With its
continued economic and social progress, the Chinese civilization must
adapt with the times and become all the more dynamic.
Every civilization is, in part, a continuation of the soul of a country
or nation. It needs to keep this soul alive from one generation to the next,
but it must also move with the times and have the courage to innovate.
The Chinese people, in pursuing the Chinese Dream, will move in step
with contemporary progress, to creatively transform and innovatively
develop their civilization. They will unlock its vitality and embrace a
cultural spirit that transcends time, space, and national borders, that is
of timeless appeal and that has contemporary value. They will bring to
life the objects in their museums, the heritage sites all over their lands,
and the writings of their classics. With this, they will enable their own
civilization to join together with the rich and diverse civilizations of all
other countries, to provide the right cultural compass and powerful drive
for humanity.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Friends,
To quote from an old Chinese poem, “Easy it is to discern a spring
11
breeze, myriad petals of purple and red set spring aglow.” Next year
will mark the 70th anniversary of UNESCO. I am sure that under the
stewardship of Director-General Bokova, the Organization will continue
to achieve great things in fostering exchange and learning among

89