Russian expert: Civilizing communication the key to telling Chinese achievement

By Chen Tianhao

(ECNS) – “Civilization is built on communication and unimaginable without it,” noted Andrey Bystritskiy, chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club, during a forum themed “Telling Well the Stories of the Chinese Modernization: Better Methods for Greater Effectiveness”, at the 8th Understanding China Conference that kicked off on Monday in Guangzhou.

Bystritskiy stressed that communication is not merely a tool but the essence of human civilization. “Civilization begins with communication,” he stated, highlighting how humans, unlike animals, developed complex systems of dialogue that enabled societies to flourish. “It is unimaginable to think of civilization without communication,” he added.

In addition, Bystritskiy acknowledged the challenges of contemporary communication, particularly in the face of a global information landscape that has grown exponentially. He identified several pressing issues, including the overwhelming volume of information that individuals must process, a lack of effective mechanisms to verify information quality, the manipulation of information, the absence of international regulations governing transborder communication, and the growing reliance on artificial communication mediums, such as digital platforms.

“Modernization success, including China’s, are often overshadowed by false narratives and targeted misinformation campaigns,” Bystritskiy warned. He called for a united global effort to address these issues, advocating for the creation of regulated communication spaces and the revival of traditional journalism practices to restore trust in information dissemination.

Addressing the specific challenges of telling China's modernization story, he pointed to the complexity of the global communication environment, which he described as a “vast ocean of information” that is difficult to navigate. “It is essential to organize the information space and develop a clear hierarchy,” Bystritskiy proposed, urging the integration of real-world norms into the virtual sphere to ensure reliable narratives.

While acknowledging that there is no simple solution, Bystritskiy remained optimistic about the potential for international cooperation. He concluded, “Civilizing communication practices is not just desirable but necessary, and it is a solvable problem with collective effort.”