Second Symposium on Xi Jinping Thought on Culture Kicks Off in Shenzhen

Summary

More than 130 experts and scholars from 14 countries, including China, Russia, Argentina, Spain, Brazil and the United States, gathered in Shenzhen on 6 September for the second International Symposium on Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Themed 'Consolidating Cultural Subjectivity and Advancing Chinese Modernisation', the event addressed key aspects of cultural development. President Xi Jinping has said that for any culture to stand firm, endure, and exert influence, cohesion and appeal, it must possess its own subjectivity.

Participants agreed that Xi Jinping Thought on Culture provides fundamental guidance for preserving cultural roots in modernisation and promoting inter-civilisation exchanges. Diego Ramiro Guevara, former Argentine ambassador to China, said China's practice shows tradition and innovation are not necessarily opposites. An ESADE professor in Spain, who uses the Chinese name Su Aogu, said China is building its own distinct paradigm.

Several scholars said Chinese modernisation demonstrates that modernisation can take multiple civilisational forms.

Commentary

The second International Symposium on Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, which drew more than 130 scholars from 14 countries, was more than an academic exercise. It forms part of China's broader push to shape cultural discourse. For New Zealand SMEs, direct trade implications are limited, but two trends warrant attention.

First, China's cultural exports are accelerating: online literature, gaming and short-video platforms have seen notable user growth in Southeast Asia and Latin America, shifting regional competition in digital content. Second, Chinese modernisation as a non-Western path is attracting interest from Global South countries, potentially influencing standards and procurement preferences in infrastructure and education. This may create differentiated competitive pressure on New Zealand's traditional strengths in agricultural training and vocational education.

At the same time, China has stressed that cultural confidence does not mean rejecting foreign cultures. New Zealand's 'pure and natural' brand positioning continues to command a premium in China's mid-to-high-end market. With the Global Civilisation Initiative raised at the symposium potentially giving rise to cross-border cultural co-operation projects, businesses should watch for demand from Chinese cultural industry funds for joint intellectual property development, as well as channel shifts in Southeast Asia driven by growing acceptance of Chinese cultural products.

Keywords: Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, International Symposium, cultural subjectivity, Chinese modernisation, Shenzhen, inter-civilisation exchanges, Global Civilisation Initiative

Source: Xinhua Net