21 July 2005, Bali, Indonesia

Mr. Chairman,

I would like to thank our host Indonesia for the warm reception and thoughtful arrangements. It is more than appropriate to hold the ASEM Inter-Faith Dialogue on this beautiful island of Bali, which showcases harmonious co-existence of different faiths and religions.

Mr. Chairman,

Economic globalization and advancement of science and technology lead to a more open world, closer relations and increasing interaction among peoples. In this context, culture and religion play an increasingly important role in international relations. Peace and development are the common aspiration of people in all countries. But our world is not in peace. Religions, in general, advocate peace and tolerance. It is therefore distressing to see that the name of religion is often exploited for hatred, violence, unrest and war, and bigotry, misunderstanding and intolerance often result in conflicts and confrontation.

It is a rich and colourful world that we live in. Peoples and countries have different histories, traditions, cultures, social systems, values and religions and faiths. These are shared heritage of humanity. We call for full respect for diversity and distinction of various ethnicities, religions and cultures. We uphold the principles of equality and mutual respect and seeking common ground while reserving differences. We should work for compatibility rather than discrimination, exchange rather than exclusion, dialogue rather than confrontation, co-existence rather than conflict. We should enable religion to play its unique and positive role in promoting world peace and human progress.

Mr. Chairman,

Religions and faiths have always been a contributing factor to harmony in China. China's splendid civilization dates back to over 5,000 years ago. It is the inclusiveness of the Chinese culture that has retained its vitality. The Chinese culture is crystallization of cultures of all ethnicities and fusion of Chinese and foreign civilizations over centuries. Religions and faiths evolved in this process are embodiment of diversity, tolerance, inclusiveness and love for peace.

China is a country of pluralistic faiths and cultures. Major religions in the world, including Buddhism, Islam, Protestantism and Catholicism, have grown alongside indigenous Taoism. They enjoy co-existence in harmony. Many alien religions and faiths have, to different extent, gone through a path from discord to concord, thus greatly enriching the Chinese culture. Take the example of Buddhism. It has inspired and advanced Chinese philosophy and culture while flourishing in China. Islam has developed its unique characteristics in China through fusion with traditional Chinese culture, making itself a great treasure of the Chinese culture.

Traditional Chinese culture advocates fraternity, trustworthiness, harmony, common good and love for peace. Looking back at Chinese history, we find no major armed conflicts or bloodshed between different faiths or between religious believers and non-believers. Nor has China waged any war under the pretext of religion. Inter-faith frictions in China are mostly in the form of argument in doctrines. Argument, on the other hand, has advanced fusion and assimilation, and fostered pluralism, peaceful co-existence, learning from each other and common development. This gives us inspiration for promoting inter-faith understanding and dialogue and preventing religious conflicts and bloodshed.

China adopts a policy of respecting freedom of religious belief and self-governance of religious affairs. China now has 20 million Muslims, over 16 million Protestants and 5 million Catholics. Most Buddhist monasteries are packed with endless streams of pilgrims and believers and they are too many to be numbered. There are over 105,000 religious sites for Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Protestantism and Catholicism. Clergy and other religious workers total over 300,000. There are more than 3,000 religious bodies and 76 religious schools and colleges in China. The Chinese religious community has established links with religious organizations in over 70 countries and regions in the world. All religions in China are strong advocates of service for society and well-being for humanity. Religions and faiths play an active role in building a harmonious society in China.

Mr. Chairman,

ASEM embraces both eastern and western civilizations. It encompasses the world's major religions and faiths. Asia and Europe share extensive common ground in dialogues among cultures and civilizations, and enjoy good cooperation in this field. The fifth ASEM Summit in Hanoi last year adopted the Declaration among Cultures and Civilizations, and endorsed this Inter-Faith Dialogue as an important follow-up activity. Dialogue among various faiths of Asia and Europe in the principle of mutual respect and harmony without unanimity would not only help enhance mutual understanding and expand common ground, but also contribute to world peace and harmony. In this spirit, the Chinese delegation looks forward to further exchanges with all sides in the upcoming discussions.

Thank you.