China will continue to support the Buddhist community in fostering friendly exchanges with Buddhist communities worldwide based on independence, equality, friendship and mutual respect, China's top political adviser said on Tuesday in commemoration of the 21st Conference of the United Nations Day of Vesak.

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks in a congratulatory letter to the Vesak Day conference.

"The Chinese government firmly upholds the international system with the United Nations at its core, adheres to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and promotes the international order and global governance system to develop in a more just and reasonable direction, working together with all countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind," he said.

"President Xi Jinping has successively proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative in recent years, which have injected more stability and certainty into an era of intertwined changes and contributed Chinese wisdom to solving global problems," Wang said.

He said China's Buddhist community will actively participate in relevant UN international platforms and carry out extensive exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations to help enhance friendship between Chinese and foreign peoples and contribute to building a world of lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness, inclusiveness, cleanliness and beauty.

Vesak Day, a traditional festival in the Buddhist community, commemorates the birth, enlightenment and nirvana of the Buddha. In 1950, the World Fellowship of Buddhists decided to celebrate Vesak Day, and in 1999 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution granting the festival international recognition.

This year's Vesak Day conference officially opened on Tuesday in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, marking the first time the international Buddhist event was hosted by China.

The theme of the event is "The Role of Buddhist Wisdom in Promoting Global Sustainable Development and Building a Shared Future for Mankind". Buddhist figures, experts, scholars and guests from 67 countries and regions are discussing topics that range from drawing on Buddhist wisdom to promote human well-being, and Buddhism's contribution to common prosperity, to Buddhist wisdom in building global sustainable peace partnerships.

"Buddhism is an important part of human civilization, and its concepts of compassion, kindness, harmony and inclusiveness align with the common values of humanity," said Li Ganjie, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee.

"We should embrace different civilizations with an open mind, respect the development paths and cultural traditions independently chosen by each country, and fully leverage the positive role of Buddhism and the religious community to build more platforms for civilizational exchanges and the integration of culture and tourism," he added.

Li expressed hope that the Buddhist community will meet the requirements of the times, deepen exchanges and mutual learning, and carry forward the fine tradition of compassion and benefiting all beings.

Shi Minghai, vice-president of the Buddhist Association of China, said there are currently about 33,500 temples, 260,000 clergy members and 44 Buddhist colleges across China.

He said Chinese Buddhism has been deeply integrated into global dialogue through forums and exchange activities such as the World Buddhist Forum.

Guo Jun contributed to this story.

cangwei@chinadaily.com.cn