Seeds of peace

"Throughout the centuries, people have yearned for lasting peace, but war has haunted mankind every step of their progress. As we speak, many children on this planet are subjected to the horror of armed conflicts," Xi noted in the speech.

Indeed, for quite some time, people in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and other countries in turmoil have been suffering from unimaginable violence and indignities. Stigmatization, xenophobia, racism and discrimination as well as hate speech have also been running wild in many parts of the world.

Dima al-Kaed, a Syrian citizen, told Xinhua she has lost both her parents during the war. "I once dreamed of changing the world, but the war has changed my dream," she said, holding a photo of herself taken when she graduated from the University of Damascus years ago.

Faiz Ahmed, an Afghan citizen living in the city of Kabul who is about to reach his 50s, said he has spent almost his whole life in an environment of war and violence. "I have not seen a single day of peace in my homeland. I hope that my country could achieve lasting peace and stability as soon as possible, and I pray to experience such a day."

"Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed," Xi stressed on the importance of the idea of peace in his speech, quoting the preamble to the Constitution of UNESCO as saying.

To keep war as far away as possible from mankind, Xi has provided the answer -- to "step up inter-civilization activities in education, science, technology and culture across border, time and space to spread the seeds of the idea of peace far and wide so that they will sprout, take root and grow in the hearts and minds of the world's people, and provide the planet we share with more and more forests of peace."

These are not empty talks. In fact, guided by Xi's wisdom on peace, which has been revealed time and again through his remarks on various occasions, China has been making great contributions to regional and global stability, development and prosperity.

China is now the largest contributor of personnel to United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Moreover, the country has played a constructive role in addressing global issues such as the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and the conflicts in the Middle East.

China always "works to resolve conflicts with peaceful methods and giving priority to the logic of humanity and the logic of the international law over the logic of force and hegemony," said Muhammad Zahra, a Syrian expert on China affairs.

The idea of peace espoused by Xi "does resonate very well with the fundamental principles of harmonious coexistence between people," said Cavince Adhere, an international relations researcher in Kenya. "We have seen this to be the basis of Chinese engagement both at home and abroad."