Global representatives hail Shanghai's achievements

Embracing cultural diversity and promoting dialogue are vital for global peace and progress, delegates in the upcoming Ministerial Meeting of the Global Civilizations Dialogue said during a visit to Shanghai.

The meeting, which will be held in Beijing on Thursday and Friday, will bring together more than 600 people from approximately 140 countries and regions.

Participants attending the meeting, themed "Safeguarding Diversity of Human Civilizations for World Peace and Development", made a two-day visit to Shanghai, which concluded on Wednesday, to explore the city's practices of Chinese modernization.

Nangolo Mbumba, former president of Namibia, highlighted the importance of dialogue in different civilizations. "When we come together, we avoid misunderstandings," Mbumba said. "This international dialogue, initiated by a peaceful, confident China that wants all civilizations to understand each other, is a good thing."

He added that every community, no matter how small, deserves peace, health, education and modern transportation — foundations of shared humanity.

Damjan Jovic, state secretary of Serbia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described the dialogue as "a healing mechanism for international relations".

"This initiative is not just useful but necessary for building a world where all cultures coexist as a wonderful mosaic, sharing knowledge and striving for peace over conflict," said Jovic.

The delegates visited Shanghai's tech hubs, cultural sites and infrastructure landmarks.

At Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory, where industrial robots assembled vehicles with precision under the real-time control of an intelligent system, Nicholas Morris, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs and in the Office of the Prime Minister at the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, hailed China's Tesla factory for producing beyond its limits.

"What I see in China with their EV technology is a mobility solution built for 2025 and the new generation," said Morris.

Thabang Polycarp Lekhela, principal secretary of Lesotho's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted that some stations complete tasks in under a minute and a car can be finished in half a day. He underscored China is at the forefront of artificial intelligence, adding that Lesotho hopes to leverage China's expertise to develop its own AI solutions.

At the Yangshan Phase IV automated terminal, the world's largest single automated container port, the delegation observed orange-red bridge cranes autonomously handling containers, driverless trucks navigating precisely via preset routes, and rail-mounted gantry cranes moving flexibly — all connected in real time through 5G.

Gregory Brian Riviere, international secretary of the Dominica Labour Party, drew a contrast with his country's port operations. "Back home, our port is almost entirely manual. Here, an entire port runs on AI and computer technology."

Andrey Tchorbanov, chairman of the Education and Science Committee of Bulgaria's National Assembly, stressed the importance of technological exchanges, noting China is a key source of new technologies and ideas for global economic development.