Panitchpakdi said in his remarks that, amid strong de-globalization headwinds, the world today has entered a terrible period of crisis. Globalization over the past few decades has benefited countries around the world, but it has also exacerbated global inequality.

The former WTO director-general called on countries around the world to work together to build a new form of global governance. To do so, international leaders can borrow the concept of "benevolent governance" advocated by Confucius and Mencius to form an international partnership that seeks solutions to common problems that plague the global society.

In his video speech, Sachs compared the similarity between the thoughts of Confucius and Mencius and that of Aristotle; all of them, despite living in different historical eras and cultures, preached the potential of human goodness. Echoing Van Rompuy, he said that despite different cultural traditions and political systems, the East and the West can both offer their strengths and beauty to the world as long as they are in dialogue with and mutually respectful of each other.

Meng Liang said that as the 79th-generation descendant of Mencius, he established the Mencius Foundation in the hope of building a platform to better communicate Confucianism, show the world the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and promote cultural exchanges between the East and the West.

The event was hosted by the Mencius Foundation and co-organized by the Center for the Americas of China International Publishing Group, and the Chengdu Radio and Television Station.