Former Japanese Prime Minister and Council Chair of the ICA Yasuo Fukuda, former Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema, and former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, either in person or through other means, delivered speeches. They emphasized the importance of Confucianism in addressing crises and resolving conflicts.■

　　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, poses for group photos with representatives of attendees before the opening ceremony of the International Conference to Commemorate the 2575th Anniversary of Confucius' Birth, which is also the 7th Congress of the International Confucian Association (ICA), in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 19, 2024. Wang addresses the opening ceremony of the conference in Beijing on Saturday. (Xinhua/Li Tao)