On 28 November 2024, Minister Wang Qi at the Chinese Embassy in the UK attended and addressed “An Encounter with the Chinese Civilisation: Suzhou's South of Yangtze Culture and Chinese Modernisation” event virtually. Cui Chun, Chairman of World Affairs Press, Qian Wenhua, Vice Chair of Jiangsu Provincial People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Ji Jing, Vice Mayor of Suzhou Municipal People's Government, and more than 300 guests and young students from China, the UK and France joined the event.

Minister Wang Qi noted that the Global Civilisation Initiative, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, advocates both the preservation and innovation of civilisations, and calls for countries to fully harness their histories and cultures. Chinese civilisation, with a history of over 5,000 years, is highly consistent and vibrant. The Jiangnan Culture, or South of Yangtze River Culture, with Suzhou as its birthplace, is an integral part of Chinese civilisation, which has created world cultural heritage such as  classical Suzhou garden, Kunqu opera, and traditional Chinese instrument guqin.

Minister Wang added that both China and the UK boast splendid cultures which have nourished their respective growth and development, and brought vast opportunities for exchanges and mutual learning between civilisations. He hoped the event will serve as an opportunity and inspire more young friends to explore Chinese civilisation, promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilisations, and make new contributions to the friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries.

During the event, guests watched video lecture and performances of Suzhou pingtan and Kunqu opera. And immersive activities including Han costume dressing-up and Chinese seal stamping were arranged at the venues in the UK and France.