Xi sends congratulatory letter to 44th session of World Heritage Committee

BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, which opened Friday in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province.

The world's cultural and natural heritage is an important outcome of the development of human civilization and natural evolution, and an important vehicle for the exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations, Xi said in the letter.

"To well protect, inherit and make good use of these precious treasures is our shared responsibility, and is of vital importance to the continuity of human civilization and the sustainable development of the world," he said.

Implementing the new development philosophy, China has earnestly adhered to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage with a sense of responsibility to the history and to the people, and has constantly improved its capability and caliber in heritage protection, Xi noted.

Xi said China is willing to work with all countries across the globe and UNESCO to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, promote dialogue and mutual learning, support the cause of world heritage protection, jointly safeguard the cultural and natural treasures of humanity, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.