A year ago at the fifth Forum we talked about how rapidly the world is changing. Today we can state that the world has changed. And the COVID-19 pandemic has not played a decisive role in this.

 

Enormous damage to the further development of mankind on the basis of dialogue and cooperation was caused by the claim that there is one country or a small group of countries that know the only correct answer to all world problems. The statements were followed by actions.

 

Bypassing the UN Security Council, the United States of America and then a group of countries decided to impose illegal sanctions and restrictions that hinder the socio-economic development of other countries. Fair competition has been replaced by malicious confrontation. Furthermore, instead of strengthening intercultural dialogue, we are seeing efforts to try to abolish parts of the world’s culture and sports, art and music that do not suit one’s tastes.

 

What all this has led to is known: from the breakdown of established supply chains to the threat of a food crisis, from the increase in world energy and food prices to the largest energy crisis in European history.

 

The most dangerous thing is that the world is faced with the uncertainty of the future in the absence of a dialogue of reciprocal steps based on respect and cooperation.

 

The vast majority of countries in the world welcome China’s achievements in all areas of life, thanks to which 800 million people have forgotten what poverty is. The digital economy has become a key driver of China’s economic growth in recent years. In 2020, China overtook the United States as the world’s largest source of international patent applications. Chinese companies are among the best on the planet in the development of artificial intelligence. Huge successes in innovation activities have been achieved by China in the space sector. In 2021, China has carried out 55 space launches, ranking first among space nations.

 

And one more fact. By the end of 2021, China had produced more than five billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Of these, two billion doses of vaccines have been provided to 120 countries and international organizations. This is the best indicator among all vaccine producing countries.

 

The conclusion is obvious: the successful development of China is good for the development of the world. Strange, but some G7 countries do not like it. They see China’s development as a threat to their interests. However, the course of history cannot be stopped. The world has already become multipolar and China is one of its leading poles.

 

To the diversity of them, the world cannot be reduced to two colors - black and white. The world is a rainbow of colors, in which each is unique. They may compete with each other, but this does not mean the right of one to exclude all the others.

 

The real problems and disagreements that arise between countries and are related to security and development can and should be resolved only through dialogue and the search for a compromise. Dialogue among civilizations, dialogue between the world’s leading powers is the only answer in the fight against the most dangerous enemies of mankind.

 

The Taihe Civilizations Forum - an integral platform for discussing the most pressing problems of our time and the contribution of the world’s leading experts in the search for effective answers to the challenges of our time through dialogue. Allow me to wish all Forum participants success on this challenging path.