Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning! Relaxing in the fresh early autumn breeze in Beijing, I am very glad and honored to gather with all our guests at the foot of the Great Wall and the top of Yanshan Mountain, to inaugurate the first "Taihe Civilizations Forum". First of all, on behalf of my colleagues in the Taihe Institute, I would like to extend our warm welcome to the distinguished guests from all fields and industries around the world, and sincerely thank you for your recognition and support of the Taihe Institute and Civilizations Forum.

As we all know, the culture and civilization of human society, after thousands of years of evolution and development, has broken away from ignorance and barbarism and risen to a highly developed level. However, the journey has not been straightforward, and has combined exchanges and fusion with collisions and conflicts, continuing development with annihilation. While standing in the present and looking to the future, the inheritance and sustainable development of human culture and civilization still faces various threats and challenges, such as the impact of rapid technological advance on social ethics, climate change and environmental degradation, the uneven economic development of different countries and regions, and the contradictions and conflicts between different cultures. Communication and integration between different civilizations is still in progress. Many problems are not isolated, so no country, region or nationality is able to deal with them alone. There is no doubt that human society has coalesced into a community with a single destiny. This requires all of us to unconditionally abandon pride and prejudice, to realize that diverse cultures cannot be classified as good or bad. Through comparative studies and friendly discussion, as well as integration between cultures, mutual learning and construction, cultural innovation will be fostered, and improvement will be promoted, and result in the harmonious and sustainable development of mankind.

Since its establishment, Taihe Institute has established the goal of "Focusing on Contemporary Needs" and undertaken a mission to bring together leading experts from around the world in an effort to seek common values, so the Taihe Civilizations Forum aims to set up a platform for the exchange of information, to absorb and gather experts of all fields to speak equally and freely, and to study and grasp the common values of communication, collaboration and the integrated development of human civilization. In China, we have the legends of The Bird Jingwei Trying to Fill up the Sea and The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains. Today is the first step toward our ideal goal. With sincere hearts and a common goal, none of us will feel tired. With goodwill and positive intentions as well as firm steps, we believe that more and more friends will be able to recognize and practice the spirit of the "Taihe Civilizations Forum" in future. Let us strive together for a community promoting a shared future for mankind.

Finally, I wish the first Taihe Civilizations Forum great success and fruitful achievements. At the same time, may the friendship between you all and the Taihe Institute be ever-closer and long-lasting. Thank you!