On July 18, a seminar on the topic of "Innovation in Cross-Cultural Storytelling and the Responsibility of Media within the Global Civilization Initiative" was held in Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, as part of the 2025 Journalists' Organizations Forum of the Belt and Road Initiative, according to a report by Da Jiang News/Da Jiang News Client, Wu Qiang.

Professor Zheng Changzhong from the School of International Relations and Public Affairs at Fudan University began his presentation with a childhood memory – "thin porridge with more water than rice" – and thus revealed the deeper logic of mutual learning between civilizations: Mutual learning between civilizations is fundamentally a shared human effort to address the question of "how to survive and how to live better," and it is a process of sharing the fruits of wisdom and creativity.

"Survival" and "Development" are Common Themes of Humanity

Just as the roots of trees in a forest are interconnected, and the branches reach towards the sky in different directions, so too do different civilizations represent "limited expressions" of human wisdom within specific historical and spatial contexts.

The Chinese civilization, which has been passed down uninterrupted for five thousand years, has endured precisely because of this principle. From the ancient wisdom of "harmony in diversity" to today's Global Civilization Initiative, China has always applied the philosophy of the roots: recognizing that the shapes of the branches are diverse, but the nourishing soil that gives life is common.

British historian Arnold Toynbee, in his work A Study of History, points out that Chinese civilization is the only ancient civilization that has survived to this day, and its resilience stems from an understanding of the essence of coexistence between civilizations.

Faced with centuries of global change, China has proposed the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind and has gradually presented three major global initiatives, all of which stem from thoughtful consideration of "how humanity can coexist better."

Professor Zheng used an analogy: development is like the accelerator pedal, security is like the brake, and civilization is like the steering wheel. First, the fundamental question of "how to talk about progress when people are hungry" must be addressed, then the basic conditions of "how to live safely when one is already full" must be created, and finally, the direction of "drivers" from different civilizations must be aligned.

According to Professor Zheng, there is no hierarchy between civilizations, and there should certainly be no sense of superiority. The more primitive the stage of development, the more people rely on "the strong devouring the weak"; the more advanced the civilization, the more it values cooperation.

Cross-Civilizational Exchange Requires the Subtle Influence of Media

How can the ideas of exchange, mutual learning, and tolerance be translated into reality? Strong support from governments is not enough; the subtle influence of the media is also needed.

During the 2025 Journalists' Organizations Forum of the Belt and Road Initiative, nearly one hundred representatives from media organizations and institutions from more than 50 countries and regions visited various locations in Jiangxi Province.

During their visit to Ganzhou, the philosophy of Wang Yangming on "achieving conscience" resonated deeply with the journalists. Professor Zheng added that for journalists, this "conscience" means whether each report is based on genuine conviction, whether it corresponds to the facts, and whether the journalist adheres to their professional duties, morality, and principles. To record and convey what one has personally seen – that is how a journalist "fulfills conscience."

In order to achieve equal exchange between diverse civilizations and the goals of mutual understanding, learning, and coexistence, the media must bear a key responsibility.

Professor Zheng frankly acknowledges that intercultural exchange is not just about "noble and grand" narratives. It is even more about the everyday concerns of people – about food, drink, hygiene, and ordinary life. It is precisely these "small things in life" that can bridge the gap between people, and the media, with its unique perspective, can tell these everyday "scents of home" in a captivating and vivid way, making cultural exchange tangibly relatable.

The media must bear responsibility; as journalists, this journey is even more challenging and the task is more difficult.

The media must correctly "activate the first AI switch" for the digital generation of humanity.

Today, the world has entered the era of digital civilization, and digital technologies and artificial intelligence are developing at a dizzying pace.

However, in cyberspace, discriminatory statements, feelings of civilizational superiority, and voices distorting facts are spreading. According to Professor Zheng, it is therefore particularly important that the media protect conscience and convey the truth – and it is in this area that protecting the "first AI switch" for the "digital children of humanity" is of paramount importance.

It is also important to note that there are disparities in the development of artificial intelligence: some countries are at the forefront, while others are only catching up; in international discourse, some states have long dominated, while others are overlooked.

"But artificial intelligence itself cannot distinguish – it doesn't care whose voice is louder; it simply learns from the text corpus," says Zheng. And that is why, for the sake of the next generation, for the direction of a new human civilization, we must actively speak out.

Professor Zheng concludes: In an era where the digital age and a century of global transformation are intertwined, innovation in intercultural storytelling and the responsibility of the media are exceptionally important. Every media message and every output must express the responsibility and mission of the media.

Throughout the three days of the forum, Professor Zheng was constantly in action – "getting off the bus as a guide, getting on as a teacher, and throughout, as a facilitator" – symbolizing the mission of the media: to become a , connecting the past and present, East and West, in a time of digital influx and civilizational divides.

Wu Qiang

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