A single flower does not make spring, while one hundred flowers in full blossom bring spring to a garden.

This is a saying collected in Gu Jin Xian Wen (Proverbs Ancient and Contemporary): A single flower does not make spring, while one hundred flowers in full blossom bring spring to a garden. The garden is too dull if there is only a single flower, however beautiful.

Xi Jinping has used this old, popular saying to describe exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations and common development around the world. He quoted it again in his keynote speech at the opening of the First China International Import Expo in November 2018. He said: In a world of deepening economic globalization, practices of the law of the jungle and winner-takes-all only represent a dead end. Inclusive growth for all is surely the right way forward. 

In the new era, China champions equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness between civilizations, follows the principle of achieving shared growth through consultation and collaboration in global governance, opens its arms wider to embrace the world, and contributes the dynamic achievements of the Chinese civilization to a better world. This is a good example of how it puts this centuries-old belief into practice.

一花獨放不是春，百花齊放春滿園

“一花獨放不是春，百花齊放春滿園”，出自《古今賢文》，意為只有一支花朵開放，不能算是春天來臨，而到了百花齊放的時候，才是真正的春色滿園。引申為如果世界上只有一種花朵，那么就算這種花朵再美，也是單調的。

習近平在論述文明交流互鑒和全球共同發展時，多次引用“一花獨放不是春，百花齊放春滿園”。2018年11月，習近平在第一屆中國國際進口博覽會開幕式上的主旨演講中引用這一古語，指出在經濟全球化深入發展的今天，弱肉強食、贏者通吃是一條越走越窄的死胡同，包容普惠、互利共贏才是越走越寬的人間正道。事實上，新時代的中國秉持平等、互鑒、對話、包容的文明觀和共商共建共享的全球治理觀，以更加開放的姿態擁抱世界，以更有活力的文明成就貢獻世界，就是對這一理念的弘揚和踐行。