The Main Forum of 2023 Beijing Culture Forum commenced on the morning of September 14. Attendees included Hu Heping, Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Minister of Culture and Tourism; Shen Haixiong, Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and Head of China Media Group; Zhuang Rongwen, Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Director of the Cyberspace Administration of China; Sun Yeli, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of the State Council Information Office; Cao Shumin, Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Minister of the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA); Tuo Zhen, President of the People's Daily; Fu Hua, President of Xinhua News Agency; Gao Xiang, President of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS); Li Yi, Secretary of the Party Group and Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles; Zhang Hongsen, Secretary of the CPC Leadership Group and Vice Chairman of the China Writers Association; Yin Yong, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Mayor of Beijing; and Liu Wei, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee.

In his keynote speech, Hu emphasized the significance of cultural development, which President Xi Jinping highly values. In his congratulatory letter to the 2023 Beijing Culture Forum, President Xi expresses his hopes for Beijing as an ancient capital and the country's cultural center, and puts forward China's proposals to enhance exchanges and mutual learning among global cultures and civilizations. This is crucial for jointly developing cultures, preserving cultural heritage, implementing the Global Civilization Initiative, and building a community with a shared future for mankind. "We should hold high the ideological banner, and fully implement President Xi's new ideas, viewpoints, and assessment on cultural development by taking Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guiding principle. We should introduce bolder ideas and measures to create a new culture for our times and make new achievements in building China into a cultural powerhouse. We should bolster confidence in our own culture, meet people's cultural needs, and inspire them with mainstream values and advanced culture. We should root ourselves in our cultural tradition, and make Chinese culture maintain its appeal and evolve with the times through creative transformation and innovative development. We will deepen inter-civilizational exchanges and mutual learning, thus contributing to mutual understanding and friendship among people of all countries and to the progress of civilizations," he added.

Yin said in his keynote speech that President Xi's congratulatory letter to the 2023 Beijing Culture Forum fully reflects his great attention and care for Beijing's work, which is highly encouraging and inspiring. Beijing, as the capital of China, is renowned for its antiquity and rich culture. It has given witness to the long history of the Chinese civilization. He stressed the need to study and implement the essence of President Xi's congratulatory letter, step up efforts to build Beijing into the country's cultural center, and promote its cultural progress, thus giving a strong boost to its high-quality development. He called for unremitting efforts to preserve and carry forward the culture of the ancient capital and protect the city's historical and cultural heritage as we protect our own lives; to enrich and develop the revolutionary culture and strive to build a city with the strongest social conduct and highest moral standards; to explore and cultivate Beijing culture and provide diversified cultural products; and to foster and develop innovative culture so that all kinds of innovation resources will gather here. As an important window for China's international exchanges, Beijing will integrate into the world with greater openness and inclusiveness, deepen exchanges and cooperation, and pursue cultural development with all, in order to make new and greater contributions to building a cultural powerhouse and a community with a shared future for mankind.

Sanon Wangsrangboon, Deputy Governor of Bangkok, Thailand; Francisco Goncalves, Vice Mayor of Oeiras, Portugal; famous writer Wang Meng; and famous artist Zhang Yimou also delivered keynote speeches.

The forum was moderated by Mo Gaoyi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Beijing Municipal Committee and director general of the Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee. It was attended by leaders of relevant departments of the Central Government, the governments of Beijing and all other provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, international dignitaries, heads of international organizations, ambassadors and representatives of institutions of relevant countries in China, Chinese and foreign experts and scholars, and celebrities in the cultural and artistic circles.

(Written by Liu Feifei)