Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday called for keeping pace with the trend of the world and the times to push for more progress of human civilization.
At a time when the world is undergoing major developments, transformation, and adjustment, it is necessary to aim high and look far, Xi said at the 18th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization held in east China's coastal city of Qingdao.
"When Confucius looks down from the peak of the Dongshan Mountain, the local Kingdom of Lu comes into view; when he looks down from the peak of the Mount Tai, the whole land comes into view," Xi cited Mencius, another ancient Chinese philosopher, as saying.
While hegemony and power politics still persist in the world, the growing call for a more just and equitable international order must be heeded. Democracy in international relations is an unstoppable trend of the times, he said.
While various traditional and non-traditional security threats keep emerging, the force for peace will prevail, and security and stability are what people long for, Xi said.
Pointing out that unilateralism, trade protectionism and backlash against globalization are taking new forms, he said the pursuit of cooperation for mutual benefit represents a surging trend in this global village where countries' interests and future are interconnected.
Xi also stressed that the diversity of civilizations sustains human progress, and mutual learning between different cultures is a shared aspiration of all peoples.
