Peace dividends by China: Beijing’s Palace Museum is hosting hundreds of Iranian and Saudi Arabian artefacts rarely seen in the West, in two exhibitions that are likely to have been a result of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s culture-focused diplomatic initiative, observers said.

The Global Civilisation Initiative (GCI) was introduced in March 2023 with the goal of “[injecting] strong impetus into advancing humanity’s modernisation process and building a community with a shared future for mankind”.

The GCI was expected to open up new prospects for “enhanced exchanges and understanding” as well as “better interactions and integration of diversified cultures”, according to an official statement last year. “Together we can make the garden of world civilisations colourful and vibrant.”