ST. PETERSBURG, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's 5,000-year-old civilization stands as a great example of preserving national identity and cultural heritage, a Russian orientalist has said.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Aleksey Rodionov, professor in the Department of Chinese Philology at St. Petersburg State University, expressed his admiration for Chinese culture.

Having long been engaged in the Chinese language and Chinese literature, Rodionov emphasized that China's cultural richness, long history and remarkable positive influence on the world make it particularly attractive.

Rodionov said that learning the language and understanding Chinese culture has unveiled a completely different world to him.

He told Xinhua that the more he studied the language and read, the more he realized how much valuable experience the Chinese people have accumulated throughout history.

"It is no coincidence that Chinese civilization is the only one that has remained unbroken for more than 5,000 years, (and) one of the reasons for the durability of Chinese civilization is the stability of its values," Rodionov said.

In his view, there are several essential values in Chinese culture. Firstly, the Chinese people are very tolerant and receptive to different views and cultures and are willing to absorb the finest attributes from these diverse sources. Secondly, the Chinese have always been ready to share their culture and other achievements. In addition, the Chinese advocate peaceful and flexible approaches to resolving conflicts.

Noting that giving due attention to the conservation of cultural heritage is indispensable for a country or nation to thrive, the scholar said people in Russia and other countries are becoming increasingly aware of China's profound and precious cultural heritage.

"China is currently devoted to its history and culture, which is a right choice and works to increase national self-confidence and pride," he noted.

Noting that certain parties in the world seek to impose their values on others and practice protectionism or hegemony, Rodionov said that he fully endorses the China-proposed Global Civilization Initiative and admires China's view that all cultures and civilizations are equal, can coexist peacefully and should learn from each other.

"Dialogue -- equal, just dialogue and mutual exchange between different cultures and civilizations -- should be advocated," Rodionov said. Enditem

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