Zhou Yunping pointed out that culture is the soul and engine of economic activities. Amongst others, commercial culture, as an integral part of China's traditional culture, is also a cultural phenomenon and brand resource. Therefore, joint efforts should be made to push the culture of Confucian merchants to a new level with a broader vision and mind and international concept. 

Guo Chengyan started her speech with congratulations on the opening of the Seminar and then introduced the practices of Nishan World Center for Confucian Studies in promoting the inheritance and research, innovation and development of traditional culture. She said that Nishan World Center for Confucian Studies will fully employ its resource, academic and professional advantages, strengthen research and interpretation of Confucianism and Confucian culture, deeply explore the connotation of Confucianism and Confucian merchant spirit in the new era, make strenuous efforts to achieve creative transformation and development of fine traditional Chinese culture in the new era, and strive to build an influential world center for Confucian studies, and make contribution to becoming a great modern socialist country in every dimension and realizing the Second Centenary Goal.

Zhang Xiaomei noted that this Seminar is a practical move to implement the spirit delivered in the important speech of General Secretary Xi Jinping to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China. It will well serve the work of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and the Center and help Shandong develop its economy with high quality, and it is essential for building an education discourse system for united front work and consensus and better guiding the ideological and political work of non-Party representatives. 

The opening ceremony was followed by keynote speeches around "changes of the world in the past century and missions of Confucian merchants in the new era" delivered by Prof. Fang Zhaohui of the School of Humanities, Tsinghua University, Prof. Wen Haiming of the School of Philosophy, Renmin University of China, Prof. Li Honglei of Sun Yat-Sen University, Li Yan, President of Qilu Pharmaceutical Group and Shi Qianping, President of DMI International Industry Group. Nearly 20 experts and scholars from colleges and universities and scientific research institutes exchanged ideas extensively. A total of more than 170 entrepreneurs and media representatives from the United Front Work Department of CPC Shandong Provincial Committee, Shandong Provincial Socialist Institute, the Federation of Industry and Commerce of Shandong Province and Nishan World Center for Confucian Studies, colleges and universities, scientific research institutes, cadre education and training institutes, and China Society for Promotion of the Guangcai Program attended the meeting.