The Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations will open in Beijing on Wednesday. China Daily reporter Li Yang comments:

China proposed convening the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations to foster more development and cooperation vitality in the region.

Its theme of exchanges and mutual learning among Asian civilizations is pertinent to the needs of the times, and offers a vivid example of how to seek harmonious coexistence among different civilizations, cultures and religions.

Unlike Europe, the origin of Western civilization, where wars of various forms have taken their toll and where colonialism originated, Asia has enjoyed relative peace, stability and harmony.

The conference is the first time in history that all Asian countries come together to discuss the topic of exchanges and mutual learning, and it is expected that the conference can provide an opportunity to reflect on the past and look ahead to the future.

Sharing Asian governance experiences is expected to be a core theme of the conference. Asian approaches to governance differ from Western ones, and even today different social and political systems and approaches can and should coexist. There is no reason for one nation's political system to be unilaterally imposed on others. Non-Asian countries have been invited to take part in the conference, which highlights the Asian tradition of openness and inclusiveness.

The black and white duality of Western thinking does not exist in Asia. The emphasis of Asian countries on equality, mutual respect and cooperation is in stark contrast to the begger-thy-neighbor protectionism and unilateralism that have raised their ugly heads in the West.

The Asian view is one of a harmonious balance in which all are part of the whole. The conference will seek to identify the inherent principles shared among Asian countries to find the commonalities that can be built upon, as the Asian community should have a clear sense of its own future so it can chart its own course.