By Samira de Castro
President of Federação Nacional dos Jornalistas – FENAJ, Brazil
Amid red lanterns and the gentle blooming of peonies, we are reminded that the true meeting of civilizations takes place not only at negotiation tables but in the heart of culture. In Fuzhou, within the Wenchangli Historical and Cultural District, during the 2025 Belt and Road Journalists Forum, we experienced this truth vividly. We watched a moving performance of The Peony Pavilion, the masterpiece of Tang Xianzu, often referred to as the “Shakespeare of China.”
Love, death, dreams, and rebirth — universal themes that transcend borders and centuries and unite us as humanity.
This cultural experience gave emotional depth to the ideas explored during the China–Latin America Journalists Roundtable. From that exchange emerged the Ganzhou Consensus, a document proposing to deepen media and cultural exchange among the peoples of the Global South.
In times marked by exclusionary policies — such as the tariff measures imposed by Donald Trump — building alliances based on cooperation and cultural understanding becomes an urgent task.
The BRICS— composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — emerges as a strategic platform for a new global balance. But its power must be rooted not only in economic strength, but in a renewed cultural imagination and a commitment to human-centered development.
China and Brazil are civilizations shaped by deep historical and cultural legacies, yet also by continuous innovation and modern aspirations.
In China, Confucian values of harmony, collective wellbeing, and long-term thinking coexist with cutting-edge technology, green cities, and digital transformation. In Brazil, Indigenous, African, and European heritages intertwine in a rich tapestry of creativity — from urban art to community economies, from samba schools to ancestral knowledge.
When such civilizations meet, they exchange not only commodities, but visions of the world. The Global South cannot afford to repeat the extractive, unsustainable model of development exported by the Global North. Instead, it must lead the way in promoting creative and ecological economies.
Culture, when recognized as a pillar of development, creates employment, income, identity, and social cohesion. Brazil and China have thriving traditions in music, literature, theater, and craftsmanship — each of them offering fertile ground for inclusive economic growth.
At the same time, the ecological transition is an urgent necessity. Brazil holds the key to protecting the Amazon rainforest, while China is at the forefront of renewable energy and green technology. A strategic alliance between these two countries can lead the Global South toward a model of development that is regenerative, plural, and sustainable.
The beauty of Du Liniang’s story lies not only in her love but in her refusal to give up on her dream. She dies, but her dream brings her back to life. She dares to love, and through that love, she is reborn.
This, too, is the task of our time: to resist the collapse of meaning, to reject indifference, and to reclaim the right to imagine.
The Ganzhou Consensus reminds us that communication and culture are not peripheral — they are central to peacebuilding, cooperation, and coexistence. They shape how we see ourselves, how we see others, and how we build the future.
As we walked through the narrow streets of Wenchangli, past restored theaters and open-air calligraphy exhibits, the blooming peonies seemed to whisper an ancient truth: civilizations grow when they care for their roots and open themselves to the sun.
Let us take inspiration from Tang Xianzu and Du Liniang — from those who dared to dream beyond death and despair. Let us build a future where tradition and innovation walk hand in hand, where cultural bridges are stronger than political walls, and where, even in times of crisis, hope still blooms.
*The views and opinions expressed in the articles are solely those of the individual authors and do not reflect the position of the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Journalist Network.