The International Day for Dialogue Among Civilizations is a crucial initiative to promote intercultural understanding, according to Malaysian think tank head Danial Rahman, who said that enhanced China-Malaysia cultural and educational cooperation would yield mutual benefits for both nations.
Last year, with the unanimous support of all member states, the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution initiated by China and other 82 countries, which declared June 10 the International Day for Dialogue Among Civilizations.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Rahman, the CEO of the Malaysian think-tank Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute, said the day was especially significant in the prevailing global climate where studying conflict is more common than studying cooperation.
"I think it's really timely and really important. What we see around the world more commonly are departments of war studies in places of learning, and people want to study the causes of war. But it's very rare that we find the study of peace and how do you build dialogue and how do you build civilizations. And that is why this International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations is really important. I take cognizant of the fact that it was mooted within the United Nations in 2023 and last year the resolution was passed by, of course, China with the support of 80 nations, which also shows that there's strong support and a strong recognition of the importance of dialogue," he said.
Rahman pointed to centuries-old cultural connections between China and Malaysia, with contemporary ties flourishing through tourism and education.
"So what we see is that there are a lot of mutualities between Malaysia from a cultural, from an expressive perspective. Now there's also something very interesting that's coming up. Last year Malaysia received about 3.7 million tourists from China, and next year in 2026 will be 'Visit Malaysia Year,'" said Rahman.
He stressed that youth exchanges will remain a vital driving force for bilateral relations.
"An area very passionate for me is education. I believe that there are about 33,000, over 30,000, students from China who are currently studying in Malaysia. I think fundamentally we also have to see that one of the greatest strengths between Malaysia and China are our youth population. We have a lot of young people who are very eager to go out there and learn about the world, and I think this is an area which China and Malaysia can definitely continue to strengthen our ties," Rahman said.
China, Malaysia to benefit from strengthened cultural, youth exchanges: Malaysian think tank chief
South China's Guangdong Province is accelerating its transformation into an international medical tourism hub, positioning itself as a destination for patients worldwide seeking affordable, high-quality care.
The push follows a joint initiative announced in late March by nine Chinese government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce, aimed at boosting spending by foreign tourists and enhancing exports of tourism services as part of broader efforts to expand the country's service sector.
Every day, some of the most complex surgeries are performed here. Li Zilun, deputy director of the division of vascular surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat‑sen University, is among the doctors capable of carrying out these intricate procedures.
He recently completed surgery on a patient with an aortic aneurysm, a condition often described as a "time bomb" in the body’s main artery, increasingly common in aging societies around the globe. Li also specializes in highly difficult and pioneering procedures, including repairing leaks caused by failed grafts.
"This was a very challenging case. And then, we implanted the covered stent to eliminate the endoleak. Actually, the outcome was pretty good. The patient will be discharged today," said Li Zilun.
The ability to handle such complex cases -- combining international techniques with domestically produced devices -- is drawing patients from around the world to seek treatment. In addition, high safety standards and low costs are also major draws.
"Our government is encouraging innovation. So, lots of physicians -- including our vascular surgeons -- we are actively involved in the innovation that helps to increase the effectiveness and safety, and also bring down the cost," said Li.
This hospital is one of the first in Guangdong to be designated by the provincial health commission as a pilot site for building an international medical service hub.
The growing number of patients has pushed the hospital to explore new ways to transform every step -- from treatment to payment and everything in between -- into a seamless experience, reducing waiting times and delivering better care for patients.
"I think it's fast. When the patient come here for just about, I think, one week, you can solve the problem," said Xiao Haipeng, president of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.
The hospital is also deepening its international cooperation with top-tier medical institutions, including those at Harvard University.
"Not just for China, for the whole globe, we are facing health care challenges -- emerging infectious disease and chronic, lung infectious diseases, and also the aging population, also the shortage of healthcare workforce," said Xiao.
In response to these challenges, China is promoting its own solutions, including aggressive innovation in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven workflows, while stepping up research and development investment and global engagement along the way.
"In recent years, the innovation in Western medicine is dramatically growing. An example of my hospital -- in the past few years, we have 140 innovations and seven of them are international leading innovations," said Xiao.
As global demand for medical tourism grows, China is positioning itself as a new destination. Official data shows that the number of foreign patients in Guangdong increased by 20 percent last year. Among them, the growth in inpatient admissions was even faster, rising by 76 percent.
Guangdong fast-tracks pilot for int'l medical service hub
