Update: Think tank report highlights China's approaches to cultural heritage protection

ZHENGZHOU, July 25 (Xinhua) -- A report highlighting China's innovative approach to protecting cultural heritage was released on Friday by Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency.

The report, titled "In Joint Stewardship of the Treasures of Human Civilization: China's Philosophy and Practice of Cultural Heritage Protection in the New Era," reviews China's living practices in cultural heritage protection and inheritance.

The full report, consisting of 23,000 Chinese characters, has been released to global readers via websites, journals and social media platforms, and is available in both Chinese and English.

According to the report, China has registered over 760,000 immovable cultural heritage sites, 108 million pieces (or sets) of state-owned movable cultural relics, and a total of close to 870,000 items of intangible cultural heritage resources.

Since its 18th National Congress in 2012, the Communist Party of China, adhering to the principle of "prioritizing protection," has promoted holistic and systematic protection, and properly handled the relationship between preservation and development, the report said.

Based on this approach, it has distilled an innovative paradigm of "Originality Contribution, Prioritizing Protection, Enhancing Collaboration and Necessary Guarantee."

The report noted that Chinese civilization always enshrines appreciation of mutual understanding and respect among different cultures.

China participates in global governance concerning cultural heritage with a responsible attitude, the report added.

The think tank also called for implementing the Global Civilization Initiative that China has put forward -- urging joint efforts from different countries to safeguard the shared cultural heritage of humankind and uphold the diversity of world civilizations, with an inclusive and broad mind.

Released at the ongoing Shanghai Cooperation Organization Media and Think Tank Forum at Zhengzhou, the capital of central China's Henan Province, the think tank report sparked heated discussion among participants.

As a nation blessed with a civilization spanning five millennia, China has consistently preserved its cultural legacy with a profound sense of historical consciousness, said Tursunali Kuziev, the first deputy director of the Department of Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan, as a pivotal hub along the ancient Silk Road, is ready to work with China and other countries to safeguard diverse civilizations, the official stressed.

Gulnar Shaymergenova, director of the Chinese Studies Center in Kazakhstan, noted that the report is significant for enhancing global cooperation on cultural heritage protection and promoting sustainable development of civilization.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of China's cultural heritage protection and inheritance efforts, said Duan Tianjing, director of the School of Archaeology in Jilin University.

"With incisive perspectives, the report is an important material to promote China's philosophy and practical methodologies for cultural heritage conservation," the archaeologist stated. ■