The 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations kicked off on Wednesday in Qufu, the birthplace of prominent Chinese philosopher Confucius, in east China's Shandong Province.
With the theme of "Beauty in Diversity: Nurturing Understanding Among Civilizations for Global Modernization," the two-day forum has brought together over 560 guests from more than 70 countries and regions around the world to participate in various activities, including high-level interviews, keynote speeches, and parallel dialogues.
The forum also features six sub-topics, including the origins and future development of civilizations, Confucian culture and its significance for the world today, mutual assistance in pursuing modernization, the importance of family and social development through the lens of civilization, artificial intelligence and the future of human civilizations, and Qilu culture (traditional culture in ancient China's Qi and Lu states and today's Shandong Province) and world civilizations.
The Nishan Forum on World Civilizations focuses on dialogues among world civilizations. The forum fosters academic, international and open dialogues as a platform for international cultural exchange and cooperation.
World civilizations forum kicks off in Confucius' birthplace
China's commissioning of "five essentials for aircraft carriers" marks a a significant achievement of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s accelerated transformation and development, said Jiang Bin, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, at a press conference in Beijing on Saturday.
The "five essentials" refer to stealth carrier-based fighters, multirole catapult-assisted carrier-based fighters, fixed-wing carrier-based early warning aircraft, fixed-wing electronic warfare aircraft, and anti-submarine helicopters.
"The package, or what media have dubbed the 'five essentials for aircraft carriers,' is a vital link in forming the systematic combat capability of aircraft carrier formations and a significant achievement in the PLA Navy’s accelerated transformation and development. Building a strong PLA Navy embodies the Chinese nation's long-cherished aspiration of striving to be a strong naval power and serves as an important guarantee for realizing national rejuvenation. In the new era, under the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee, the Central Military Commission and President Xi, the modernization of the PLA Navy has become increasingly solid and powerful. From the air to the sea, from coastal waters to the open ocean, the types and functions of various weapons platforms have been continuously improved, achieving leapfrog development and innovative breakthroughs, providing stronger guarantees for safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests," he said.
Spokesman confirms commissioning of 'five essentials' for carriers
