Gao Xiang, president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and director of the Chinese Academy of History, meets with Lina Mendoni, the Greek Minister of Culture. Photo: Zhu Gaolei/CSSN

On November 5, Gao Xiang, president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and director of the Chinese Academy of History (CAH), met with Greek Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni and her delegation, who were in China to attend the inaugural World Conference of Classics . Accompanying the meeting was Zhao Zhimin, secretary-general of CASS.

During the meeting, Gao emphasized that both China and Greece, as ancient civilizations with long histories and rich cultures, place high importance on historical and archaeological studies as well as the development of the two disciplines. The academic dialogue between the two countries on classical civilizations is of notable historical and contemporary significance for facilitating exchange and mutual learning between these two ancient civilizations as well as for advancing the development of world civilization. The CAH, as a comprehensive research center for Chinese history and an international academic exchange hub for historical studies, is keen to collaborate with the Greek academic community in the fields of history, archaeology, and culture, to enhance civilizational exchange and mutual learning. CASS is committed to building the Chinese School of Classical Studies in Athens , making it both a global academic hub for the study of classical civilizations and an important international platform for civilizational exchange and mutual learning. Gao further expressed CASS’s hopes that Greece will continue to support the establishment and development of the School.

Mendoni noted that Greek and Chinese civilizations are the cradles of Western and Eastern civilizations, respectively, and have made remarkable contributions to the development of world civilization. In recent years, under the joint guidance of both Greek and Chinese state leaders, the comprehensive strategic partnership between Greece and China has further developed, with people-to-people exchanges continually deepening. The Greek Ministry of Culture will further strengthen cooperation with CASS and assist in the development of the Chinese School of Classical Studies in Athens, building a new bridge for people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and continuously promoting civilizational exchange and mutual learning.

Before the meeting, Mendoni and her delegation visited the Chinese Archaeology Museum established by the CAH.