BEIJING, Dec. 2 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday sent a congratulatory letter to the 2023 Understanding China Conference (Guangzhou) held in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province.

Today, confronted with a weak global recovery and escalating geopolitical conflicts, humanity has once again come to a crossroads in history. It is all the more important that countries work together to meet various global challenges, promote common development, and improve the well-being of humanity, Xi said.

"To understand China, the key lies in understanding Chinese modernization. China is advancing the noble cause of building a great country and national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind," Xi said. "China's future is closely linked with the future of the entire humanity."

He said China is pursuing high-quality development through high-standard opening up and China will continue to foster a market-oriented, world-class business environment underpinned by a sound legal framework, and steadily expand institutional opening up with regard to rules, regulations, management and standards.

China is committed to broadening the convergence of interests with other countries, and will continue to provide the world with new growth momentum and opportunities through its own development, Xi said.

"China looks forward to working hand in hand with the rest of the world to realize global modernization that features peaceful development, mutually beneficial cooperation, and prosperity for all," Xi said.

He expressed the hope that participants to the conference will make their contributions to the exchanges and cooperation between China and the world, to common development and prosperity, and to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

The conference was co-hosted by the China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy, Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs and the Guangdong provincial government. The conference opened in Guangzhou on Saturday under the theme of "China's New Endeavors amid Unprecedented Global Changes -- Expanding the Convergence of Interests and Building A Community of Shared Future."