To mark the first International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations, the 2025 Hehe Civilization Forum, co-hosted by the International Confucian Association (ICA) and the Thai-Chinese Cultural and Relationship Council (TCCRC), took place in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 10.

Sun Chunlan, president of the ICA; Romano Prodi, former prime minister of Italy and former president of the European Commission; Phumtham Wechayachai, deputy prime minister and defense minister of Thailand; Wissanu Krea-Ngam, former deputy prime minister of Thailand; Firmin Edouard Matoko, former assistant director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); Wang Chao, president of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs; and Han Zhiqiang, Chinese ambassador to Thailand, attended and addressed the forum.

The forum was also attended by Somdet Phra Maharatchamongkhonlamuni, deputy supreme patriarch of Thailand. Fukuda Yasuo, ICA chair and former deputy prime minister of Japan, delivered a written address.

Phinij Jarusombat, vice-chair of the ICA, former deputy prime minister of Thailand and president of the TCCRC, chaired the opening ceremony of the forum.

Over 500 representatives from the political, academic, business, and media sectors of 13 countries and regions, including Thailand, China, Egypt, Germany, Russia, France, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, the United States, Italy, Vietnam, and China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, attended the forum and related events.

Sun extended a warm welcome and sincere greeting to participants, noting that this year's Hehe Civilization Forum was a significant cultural exchange event marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand and the Golden Jubilee of China-Thailand Friendship.

China and Thailand have close bonds with a shared future as neighbors, relatives, and partners, and the concept of "China and Thailand as one family" has been deeply rooted in the hearts of people of both countries, Sun said. She emphasized the need to actively implement the important consensus reached by leaders of both countries, leverage the strength of people-to-people exchanges, and jointly deepen and substantiate the building of a China-Thailand community with a shared future.

Sun highlighted that the Hehe Civilization Forum, as a high-end platform for civilization dialogue initiated by ICA, has been held five times with participation from over 1,000 esteemed scholars and experts from more than 60 countries and regions. The forum has made significant strides in enhancing mutual trust, building consensus, and deepening cooperation through dialogue, earning wide international recognition, she said.

She added that this year's forum, marking the UN-designated ?International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations,? was held under the theme "Harmony and Coexistence: Promoting the Prosperity and Progress of Civilizations", which carries profound contemporary significance.

Sun called for efforts to actively implement the ?Global Civilization Initiative?, and explore the contemporary value of harmony and coexistence for promoting the prosperity and progress of civilizations. To this end, she proposed four key priorities.

Efforts should be made to promote an outlook where civilization exchange replaces estrangement, mutual learning overcomes conflict, and coexistence transcends superiority, Sun noted. Governance principles that foster harmonious international relations aligned with historical trends should be adopted, Sun added.

Furthermore, she emphasized the need to pursue ecological harmony through promoting green, low-carbon sustainable development and the building of a ?community of life for man and nature, and establish development models ensuring equitable progress through enhanced dialogue and cooperation.

The ICA is ready to work with the international community to advance dialogue among civilizations, build a world of harmony and coexistence, and contribute to the building of a ?community with a shared future for humanity?, Sun said.

Prodi underscored the significance of Asia-Europe cooperation in shaping humanity's common future. Facing challenges such as the erosion of multilateral systems and intensified geopolitical conflicts and ideological confrontations, Prodi called for dialogue-based actions and a joint shouldering of historical responsibilities by civilizations. He emphasized the need for mechanisms to share experiences between Asia and Europe and for strengthening the role of traditional values such as integrity, justice, education, and respect in global governance.

Fukuda, in his written address, noted that the fruitful cooperation between China and Thailand provides references for the development of civilization in Asia and the world. He called for collaborative efforts among China, Thailand, and Japan to promote cooperation in this area and build a community with a shared future for humanity through establishing relevant mechanisms.

Phumtham noted the interconnectivity of Chinese and Thai civilizations, highlighting the deep-rooted concept of harmony and coexistence in both countries, and the alignment of Confucius' concept of "harmony in diversity" with Thai traditional values of inclusiveness and mutual assistance.

The philosophy of harmony and coexistence underscored by the Hehe Civilization Forum not only concerns interpersonal harmony but also the integration of civilizations and the coexistence of humanity, Phumtham noted, emphasizing respecting the diversity of civilizations and promoting mutual learning to jointly build a world of peaceful coexistence.

In his address, Wissanu highlighted that the realization of harmonious coexistence and civilization progress requires transcending friction and embracing diversity based on equality and mutual respect. He called for promoting constructive dialogue to explore more reasonable solutions to conflicts with the ultimate goal of creating a future centered on human well-being, which was one of the visions of the Hehe Civilization Forum.

Matoko highlighted peaceful dialogue and respect for differences as cornerstones for lasting peace, aligning closely with the forum’s spirit. He pointed out that dialogue is crucial for achieving peace, sustainable development, and shared prosperity, urging a more open and inclusive attitude towards mutual learning and shared benefits among civilizations.

During the forum, distinguished scholars including Chen Lai, a senior professor of liberal arts and dean of the Tsinghua Academy of Chinese Learning; Anek Laothamatas, former minister of higher education, science, research and innovation of Thailand; Roger T. Ames, a philosopher of comparative studies of Chinese and Western philosophies, and humanities chair professor at Peking University; Helwig Schmidt-Glintzer, a German sinologist and professor emeritus for East Asian literature and culture at the University of Goettingen in Germany; Chandra Setiawan, former chairman of the Supreme Council for the Confucian Religion in Indonesia; and Nguyen Tai Dong, director of the Institute of Philosophy at the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, delivered keynote speeches.

The forum featured four parallel sub-forums focusing on the themes of "Dialogue among Civilizations and Global Development," "Technological Innovation and Cultural Exchange," "Youth and Global Sustainable Development," and "Cultural Inheritance and Economic Development".

Prior to the opening ceremony, Sun took a group photo with forum representatives.

Additionally, the Fujian Opera and Dance Drama Theatre presented a special cultural performance at the China Cultural Center in Bangkok. The original dance drama Dream of the Maritime Silk Road? narrates the seafaring dreams of two generations of a sailor family from ancient Quanzhou against the backdrop of maritime trade, and portrays the solidarity and mutual assistance among people from countries along the Maritime Silk Road.