Short comment: From Central Asia to Shanghai, why has the Silk Road civilization been so melodious for thousands of years?

(Essential questions) Short comment: From Central Asia to Shanghai, why has the Silk Road civilization been so melodious for thousands of years?

　　China News Service, Beijing, July 17th. Title: From Central Asia to Shanghai, why has the Silk Road civilization been so melodious for thousands of years?

　　China News Agency reporter Wen Longjie

　　Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi was invited to visit Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan from July 12 to 16. During this period, he also attended a series of meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister to Central Asia this time has become the focus of attention of the international community.

Looking back on the past, the cultural dialogue and exchanges between China and Central Asia can be described as continuous.

　　The camel bells of the desert are crisp, and "merchants bear each other's shoulders". Speaking of Central Asia, the "Silk Road" for transportation between east and west is world-famous.

The success of the "Silk Road" is related to its important commercial value, but it is also a road of cultural exchanges between different countries and different ethnic groups.

　　Central Asia is located in the hinterland of the Eurasian continent, in the center of the four ancient civilizations in the world. To the east is the Chinese civilization, the northwest is the Greek civilization, the southwest is connected to the Persian civilization across the Caspian Sea, and to the south is the ancient Indian civilization. The hub of communication and the convergence of civilizations.

Data map: Gysar Castle west of Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.

Xinhua News Agency reporter Shadati photo source: Xinhuanet

　　China and Central Asia have a history of friendly exchanges for thousands of years.

Probably the most famous in history is the Western Han Dynasty Zhang Qian's two missions to the Western Regions in 138 BC and 119 BC respectively.

Thanks to Zhang Qian's "drilling of the Western Regions", the "Silk Road" was opened up.

Since then, through Central Asia to China, walnuts, grapes, pomegranates, broad beans, alfalfa, pepper and other crops landed, pipa, Hu Xuanwu and thoroughbred horses came in, and Buddhism, Nestorianism, and Islam were introduced.

Ancient Chinese silk and the "Four Great Inventions" spread to Europe through Central Asia.

　　"Luo Huata travels wherever I go, laughing into the Hu Ji wine shop." The "Hu Ji" in Li Bai's poem in the prosperous Tang Dynasty refers to a Sogdian business woman from Central Asia.

According to scholars' textual research, after the Sogdian came to Tang Dynasty, they mainly lived in the workshops around the trade distribution center of West City, Chang'an, where there was even a temple for religious ceremonies.

The Sogdians have fully integrated into the life of the Tang Dynasty, which shows the deep and extensive cultural exchanges between China and Central Asia at that time.

The Sogdians in history are located in present-day Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and they belong to the Central Asian countries visited by Foreign Minister Wang Yi this time.

　　This kind of long-standing friendship has now become the foundation of "generational friendship" between China and Central Asian countries.

At present, the relationship between China and Central Asian countries is at the best period in history, and China has established a comprehensive strategic partnership with the five Central Asian countries.

The five Central Asian countries actively responded to China's "Silk Road Economic Belt" initiative and aligned with their own development strategies.

Data map: The Central Asian cotton yarn train slowly departs from the Tashkent Chukulsai Railway Station.

Photo by Zhao Qiang

　　Take Turkmenistan as an example. Turkmenistan is a permanent neutral country recognized by the United Nations. China is the first country to establish a strategic partnership with Turkmenistan and regards Turkmenistan as a truly reliable strategic partner.

Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Turkey relations have always maintained a good momentum of development.

　　It can be said that the Silk Road has built a bridge of civilization integration, and its endless vitality shows that China's development cannot be separated from the world, and the world's development cannot be separated from China.

　　The exchange and integration of human civilization is unstoppable, and peaceful coexistence is the mainstream of development.

With policy communication, road connectivity, unimpeded trade, currency circulation, and people-to-people connections, the "Silk Road Economic Belt" initiative has enabled China and Central Asian countries to have closer ties, deeper cooperation, and broader space.

　　Have friends come from afar?

The "Ancient Silk Road" and the "Silk Road Economic Belt" reflect each other, with neighbors as partners and good neighbors.

Both China and Central Asian countries are at a critical stage of development, and have the same dreams and beliefs in accelerating their own development and realizing national rejuvenation.

The history of more than two thousand years of exchanges proves that as long as we adhere to solidarity and mutual trust, equality and mutual benefit, tolerance and mutual learning, and win-win cooperation, countries with different civilizations can fully share peaceful development.

　　Liu Xi in the Han Dynasty said in "Shi Ming•Shi Musical Instrument", "Pipa (Pipa) originally came from Huzhong, and it was immediately promoted." Pipa is a successful masterpiece of cultural exchange.

"Noisy and miscellaneous bullets, big and small pearls fall on a jade plate." The graceful sound of these two lines of the pinnacle of Chinese literary description of sound seems to be a vivid portrayal of the dialogue and exchanges between China and Central Asia today.

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