Li Ruihuan on National and Traditional Culture

CPPCC Chairman on National and Traditional Culture

The view that difference between cultures of different nationalities is the source of conflict is totally wrong, China's visiting senior leader said Tuesday morning.

"It is also absolutely wrong to discriminate against instead of respecting the difference between cultures of different nationalities," said Li Ruihuan, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference who is now here for a six-day friendly official visit. "Just because that culture of each nationality has different characteristics, the human society has thus become varied and colorful, which leads to the requirement of exchange and cooperation between cultures of different nationalities," said Li while meeting with Andrienne Clarkson, governor general of Canada. It has been an important issue for Chinese government to study how to treat the culture of each nationality and traditional culture properly. For China, Li said, culture of a nationality is an important form of existence of the nationality and also a component and valuable treasure of the whole culture of the mankind.

Li urged that people must adopt a scientific attitude toward the traditional culture of their own nationality. They should not be pedantic and cherish the outmoded and preserve the outworn nor be ignorant of the history of their own country and reject all of it.

The current world is changing rapidly, he said. It has been only possible for traditional culture to be boosted up to a new glory after it has been entertwined together with the contemporary world and broken through boldly the out of dated thoughts so that it can absorb nutrition from vivid social practices, Li added. He expressed appreciation of the governor general for her long time efforts in developing cultural cause and said that Canada is a country comprised with various nationalities and has good experience in the harmonious co-existence between different nationalities.

China is willing to strengthen cultural exchange with Canada so that to make common effort to push forward the progress of the civilization of the mankind, Li stressed.

Clarkson told her guest that Canada respects Chinese culture and it has fostered great interest in the historic culture of China.