A conference on cultures and civilizations, the first one within the framework of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), will be held in Beijing from Dec. 3 to 4, sources with the Ministry of Culture (MOC) of China said Tuesday.  

MOC spokesman Li Jinghe said at a press conference that the meeting was proposed by former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji at the fourth ASEM summit in Copenhagen in 2001 and was later written into the presidential declaration as a key follow-up action of the meeting.

Denmark, France, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and China jointly raised the proposal.

Li said the all-round cooperation among ASEM members was based on cooperation in political, economic and cultural sectors.

The imminent meeting is designed as a platform to boost constructive and consultative dialogues among different cultures and civilizations in Asia and Europe, thus promoting mutual understanding and friendship between peoples of the two continents and helping them achieve common development based on diversified cultures, he said.

Ding Wei, director of MOC International Division, said China, as a big country with an ancient culture, always advocated that different cultures and civilizations should show mutual respect to and learn from each other.

According to Ding, the meeting, with the theme of "unity in diversity", will include four plenary sessions and three group discussions, inviting cultural ministers of ASEM members to discuss opportunities and challenges to cultures and civilizations brought by globalization.

By press time, nearly 200 representatives from 21 ASEM members including China, Japan, Singapore, France, Germany and the European Commission have applied to attend the meeting. A delegation of the Asia-Europe Foundation, the permanent organization of ASEM, will also attend the meeting.

(Xinhua News Agency November 26, 2003)