The GCI can be summarized with four common advocacies: to respect the diversity of civilizations, to uphold the common values of humanity, to attach importance to inheritance and innovation of civilizations, and to strengthen international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.

While this initiative confronts misconceptions and prejudices, it promotes equality, mutual learning, dialogue and mutual accommodation between civilizations. It also opposes cultural arrogance, and seeks to create platforms for equal dialogues, enabling different civilizations to deepen their understanding of one another and advance through mutual exchanges and learning.

China holds deep respect for civilizational diversity and has been advancing deeper, more substantive exchanges among civilizations. The country has initiated and supported multilateral dialogue platforms, including the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, the Liangzhu Forum, the World Conference of Classics, and the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting. Additionally, China helped build consensus at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly to establish the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations. In June 2025, China successfully hosted the first global event marking the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations.