Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attends the opening ceremony of the sixth Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo and delivers a keynote speech in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sept. 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

The sixth Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo opened Wednesday in Dunhuang, a major hub on the ancient Silk Road in northwest China's Gansu Province.

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech.

The expo has attracted more than 1,200 guests from over 50 countries, regions and international organizations.

Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, domestic and overseas guests called for efforts to promote the Silk Road spirit, practice the Global Civilization Initiative, and carry out extensive international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.

The attendees expressed their commitment to respecting the diversity of civilizations and pursuing common development through openness and mutual learning.

They also called for advancing international cooperation on cultural heritage in areas such as research into ancient civilizations, joint archaeological projects, ancient relic restoration and museum construction.