On June 12, the 2026 Hehe Civilization Forum, co-hosted by the International Confucian Association (ICA) and Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies (TSUOS), was held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, under the theme of "The Wisdom of Harmony and Cooperation and High-Quality Development of the Belt and Road Initiative".

ICA President Sun Chunlan delivered a video address at the opening ceremony.

Among the dignitaries delivering speeches were Rakhim Khakimov, deputy speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan; Yu Jun, Chinese ambassador to Uzbekistan; Djoomart Otorbaev, former prime minister of Kyrgyzstan; and Daminov Asqarali, vice-minister of higher education, science and innovation of Uzbekistan.

Others included Ma Huaide, president of Renmin University of China; Gulchekhra Rikhsieva, rector of TSUOS; and Hao Ping, executive vice-president of the ICA.

Nodir Karimov, vice-rector of TSUOS, presided over the opening ceremony.

In her video address, Sun pointed out that overcoming difficulties in solidarity and pursuing common development in harmony are intrinsic to the historical identity of the Chinese nation and form the essence of Eastern civilization. For more than two millennia, the peoples of China and Central Asia have upheld the wisdom of harmony and cooperation and jointly promoted the rise and prosperity of the Silk Road, she noted.

Entering the new era, Belt and Road cooperation has yielded a series of landmark outcomes, she added. The China-Central Asia Spirit of "mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit and mutual assistance for the joint pursuit of modernization through high-quality development" is continuously steering regional cooperation to new heights, she remarked.

Sun emphasized that amid accelerating global transformations, the wisdom of harmony and cooperation has become an important intellectual resource for exploring how different civilizations can coexist and where human civilization is headed.

She advocated for the deeper implementation of the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), strengthening academic research, comprehensively expounding on the China-Central Asia Spirit, systematically summarizing historical experience, and integrating the wisdom of harmony and cooperation into regional cooperation.

Sun underscored the need to expand educational cooperation by encouraging educational institutions to jointly develop curricula, promote faculty and student exchanges, and share resources, so as to cultivate more outstanding talent suited to the needs of Belt and Road cooperation. She called for harnessing the vitality of youth by building cross-cultural exchange platforms, thereby pooling youthful momentum for Belt and Road cooperation.

In addition, she emphasized the importance of promoting commercial civilization, upholding the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits in cross-border investment and industrial cooperation, and advancing the high-quality, sustainable, and people-centered development of Belt and Road cooperation.

For his part, Khakimov noted that under the guidance of the heads of state of Uzbekistan and China, the Uzbekistan–China all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era has been continuously deepened, with growing political, economic and cultural ties. He said the evolution from the ancient Silk Road to today's flourishing Belt and Road cooperation vividly exemplifies mutual inclusiveness and friendly cooperation among different civilizations.

He added that the China–Central Asia Spirit discussed at the forum embodies the values of good-neighborliness, mutual respect, and common development, and expressed Uzbekistan's support for further strengthening such people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation.

Meanwhile, Otorbaev stated that with modernization as a shared strategic goal, friendly cooperation between Central Asian countries, including Kyrgyzstan, and China has demonstrated broad prospects, as directly reflected in business exchanges and industrial investment, bringing tangible benefits to their peoples.

He underscored the critical role of people-to-people and cultural exchanges in fostering state-to-state friendship and regional cooperation, calling for the active participation of the younger generation in advancing the high-quality development of Belt and Road cooperation.

This year's forum featured four sub-forums: The Scholars' Forum on the "Historical Foundation and Global Significance of the China-Central Asia Spirit," the University Presidents' Roundtable on "New Pathways for Developing Global Talents in the Era of Digital Intelligence," the Youth Forum on "People-to-People Exchange and the Mission of the Younger Generation," and the Entrepreneurs' Forum on the "Contemporary Heritage of the Silk Road Commercial Civilization."

Prior to the forum's opening ceremony, participants pose for a group photo.

On the sidelines of the forum, students from Communication University of China, Lanzhou University of Arts and Science, and the Confucius Institute at TSUOS jointly staged cultural performances. Through art forms such as Dunhuang dance and folk songs, they vividly presented the touching stories of cultural integration and people-to-people bonds along the Silk Road.

The Hehe Civilization Forum is a flagship platform that was established by the ICA to implement the GCI and promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. Held on the occasion of the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations, this year's forum is a landmark people-to-people exchanges event under the China-Central Asia cooperation framework.

The event was supported by the Ministry of Education (MOE) of China, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Uzbekistan, and the Chinese Embassy in Uzbekistan. It was co-organized by Renmin University of China, the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of China's MOE, Beijing Language and Culture University, and the Association of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Uzbekistan.

Over 200 delegates from academia, culture, politics, and business sectors across seven countries — China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Russia — participated in the event.