China's Xi urges more dialogue between 'Confucian, Islamic' civilizations

ISTANBUL

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday urged more dialogue between Confucian and Islamic civilizations, as he met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Beijing.

“It is important to keep carrying out the Confucian-Islamic Civilizational Dialogue and strengthen the bonds of people-to-people exchanges,” between Beijing and Kuala Lumpur, Xi told Anwar, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.

A historic International Seminar on Civilizational Dialogue between Islam and Confucianism was held at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur in March 1995 where among others, incumbent Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had presented his paper, according to Center for Civilization Dialogue, Kuala Lumpur.

Xi underscored the need for China and Malaysia to “accentuate the new characterization of bilateral relations as high-level and strategic, deepen all-round strategic coordination,” support each other’s “core interests and major concerns.”

During the meeting at the Great Hall of the People, Xi urged the two sides to “create highlights of cooperation in emerging industries such as artificial intelligence, new energy, and semiconductors, and ensure the high-level development of key projects.”

For his part, Anwar said that the two leaders reaffirmed their “shared resolve to deepen this friendship, grounded in trust, respect and sincerity, and to ensure that commitments are swiftly translated into meaningful outcomes.”

“I deeply value the sincerity of friendship shown by President Xi and the respect accorded to Malaysia,” he wrote on US social media company X.