Chinese, foreign experts talk of shared values of Silk Road program

Modern China is responsible not only for its own destiny but is likely to influence the whole world, says Ismatulla Bekmuratov, dean of the faculty of world policy, history and philosophy at Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies.

"But China firmly refuses to impose its own development mode on other countries."

China will not impose its own values on other countries, either, as many speakers agreed, but will respect diversity in different cultures.

Yuan Zhengqing, who studies China's diplomacy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says that in the 5,000-year development of Chinese civilization, Chinese people have pursued peace and harmony. The rule of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) was an exception, he says.

"So while we pursue the development of our own country, China will also care about the interests of others," he says. "China wants to promote dialogue among different cultures."

Martin Albrow, fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Britain, talks about how some predictions in the 1970s by a sociologist from Harvard University did not happen.

"He said the world would be governed by theory. This has not happened in the West. I would suggest to you that it is happening in China, one of the most important contributions that China is making to the world today is generating a new theory for the world we are going to live in," he says.

If sharing values is emphasized, we need to understand the diversity of ideas.

"We have to work toward creating common values. This is how the Belt and Road Initiative can work in practice."