The 2nd International Forum on Public Diplomacy (Charhar-Clingendael Public Diplomacy Forum) hosted by The Charhar Institute, Clingendael Institute and Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations was held in Hague of Neherlands from September 19 to 20 with the theme of "Culture and Understanding in China-Europe Relations". Ambassador Lv Fengding, chairman of the International Advisory of the Charhar Insitutute, led delegation to attend the two-day event.

(photo source: The Charhar Institute)

Consensuses were made during the two-day forum:

THE HAGUE CONSENSUS

ON

CULTURAL RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND EUROPE

September 20, 2013, The Hague

Participants from The Clingendael Institute (The Netherlands), the Charhar Institute (China), and the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa, Germany), with the support of Robert Bosch Foundation, reach the following concensus after a two-day conference on Culture and Understanding in China-Europe Relations. Their network and dialogue are meant to contribute to the debate on relations between Europe and China and will produce concrete policy recommendations for policy makers on both sides.

1. The strengthening of cultural relations and mutual understanding benefits from the long existing linkages between Chinese civilization and European civilization.

2. A broad and balanced cultural exchange between the cultures of China and Europe can only succeed if the principle of culture diversity is mutually respected. It is a contribution towards a culture of peace and harmony.

3. Cultural interaction as an activity is aimed at building bridges, genuine collaboration and a mutual willingness to change, and as such it is characterised by equality, partnership, process orientation and open-endedness.

4. Cultural exchange is an integral part of the relations between China and Europe. It serves national interests, helps create understanding and trust, and facilitates agreement on political issues and global governance challenges.

5. Efforts should be made to facilitate cultural exchange and benefit great variety of people. Governments play an important role in creating platforms where cultural actors can develop their relations and engage in collaborative projects that will strengthen mutual understanding, respect and appreciation. Understanding the culture of the other contributes to one‘s own cultural resources.

6. Cultural diplomacy as the way in which governments address the citizens of other societies through culture is on a par with cultural dialogue as conducted in people-to-people diplomacy. Each aim to cultivate interest and mutual learning.

7. Efforts to impose on others political ideology through cultural exchanges should be avoided. For this reason, not only culture itself is crucial for cultural diplomacy, but also the way it is treated.

8. Cultural activities, goods and services have both an intrinsic and a financial value. They are of economic importance and they carry identity, values and meaning.

9. Chinese-European cultural dialogue takes place in the context of global communication, mobility and the creation of networks, and should inspire decision-makers from the fields of politics, industry, media and culture.

10. Cultural exchange is a process spanning generations and can only produce a sustainable effect in the long term. This puts any quantitative or short-term qualitative evaluation into perspective, as culture cannot be fully understood and appreciated by one-dimensional measurement.

Source: The Charhar Institute

 photo source: The Charhar Institute