Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, speaks during the Yangtze Culture Forum 2025 in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Nov. 21, 2025. The Yangtze Culture Forum 2025 opened on Friday in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, bringing together over 300 guests from more than 30 countries, including government officials, scholars, and diplomats. (Xinhua/Ji Chunpeng)

NANJING, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Yangtze Culture Forum 2025 opened on Friday in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, bringing together over 300 guests from more than 30 countries, including government officials, scholars, and diplomats.

Xin Changxing, secretary of the Communist Party of China Jiangsu Provincial Committee, emphasized the Yangtze River's role in shaping Jiangsu's geography, economy, and culture. He pledged to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with countries and regions in global river basins to contribute to the Global Civilization Initiative and a community with a shared future for humanity.

Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, said that the Yangtze River culture, inclusive and all-embracing, has become an important vehicle for promoting mutual learning among civilizations and provided valuable spiritual wealth for building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Xinhua News Agency will take the opportunity of this forum to work with all parties to continue telling the story of the Yangtze River in the new era, Fu said.

UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Science Lidia Arthur Brito said the theme of this forum is highly consistent with UNESCO's mission, adding that the green development of the Yangtze River reflects harmony between humans and nature.

A think tank report, titled "Harnessing Rivers for National Prosperity, Public Wellbeing -- A Study on the New Era River Strategy," was released at the forum. The report was co-authored by the National High-Level Think Tank of Xinhua News Agency and China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research.

The event was co-hosted by UNESCO and the Nanjing Municipal Government. ■