Nobel Literature Laureate Mo Yan delivers a speech at the 2013 Beijing International Forum on People-to-People Friendship on November 14, in Beijing (YU LINTAO)

The 2013 Beijing International Forum on People-to-People Friendship kicked off on November 14, presenting the theme of "people-to-people cooperation promotes the development of urban construction, cultural exchanges promote social prosperity."

Hosted jointly by Beijing People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (BPAFFC) and the People's Government of Xicheng District of Beijing Municipality, the forum has attracted about 300 representatives from over 20 countries to discuss topics including urban civilization construction and exchange of education and culture.

When addressing the opening ceremony, Zhao Jiaqi, President of BPAFFC, said the forum will become the new platform for deepening people-to-people practical communication and cooperation between Beijing and all sister cities, highlighting the achievement of urban civilization construction, exchanging experiences in urban construction and management as well as conveying the advanced ideas of education and culture. It will also write a new chapter of friendly people-to-people exchange between Beijing and all countries.

Ek Sam Ol, President of the Kampuchea-China Friendship Association, claimed that the forum advocates friendly cooperation, sustainable development as well as global harmony, further consolidating the close friendship between China and Cambodia and even China and ASEAN. All countries can share and learn development experiences from each other in the forum, promoting cooperation and exchanges in the economy, education, culture as well as urban construction.

Korn Dabbaransi, President of the Thai Chinese Friendship Association, believes the forum as a venue for friendship and people-to-people exchange is somewhat more important than purely intergovernmental exchanges.

Dabbaransi said this powerful word "friendship" is the most effective platform that springs up to so many other relationships in people's lives. All of us here today are from many countries. All of us have never seen each other before. We come here to exchange friendship.  And yet, once we are here for friendship, from now onward we all can move forward to getting closer between us, and call each other a "friend."

In a speech during the forum, Nobel Literature Laureate Mo Yan, who also serves as vice president of BPAFFC, said, "In the face of globalization, we need to give particular attention to cultural distinctiveness, individual distinctiveness. Every country and every nationality should work hard to preserve their tradition and culture. Building a city needs innovation. If we merely copy the past style or just copy the West, or styles of other regions, we won't have any appeal. We must incorporate tradition, study extensively to form a new style and then create a brand-new, distinctive and all-inclusive culture."

The Beijing International Forum on People-to-People Friendship was started in 2011, when 50 international organizations from 28 countries shared their experiences on the influence of public diplomacy on international exchanges and world city construction. Held biennially, it aims to promote cooperation among international associations for friendship and the world's sister cities. It also serves as a platform for collecting constructive suggestions on developing Beijing into an international city.