2019年7月15日—17日，中心副主任宋秀琚应邀参加了在印尼泗水举行的“第五届郑和国际和平论坛”。论坛开幕式后，宋秀琚副主任即与会议主办方苏南·安佩尔国立伊斯兰大学（UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya, Indonesia）校长Masdar Hilmy教授分别作了主旨发言和互动，对大会的召开表示了忠心祝愿，希望“郑和论坛”能够为推动地区各国民间和文化交流创造一个良好的平台。

本届“郑和国际和平论坛”的主题是“印尼和中国：分享宗教、文化和社会的价值观”，由郑和国际和平基金会、印尼郑和基金会、印尼伊斯兰教士联合会（NU）和印尼穆罕默迪亚（Muhammadiyah）等共同主办，来自印尼、中国、马来西亚、美国等国近百位专家学者围绕“中国—印尼的历史与文化联系”、“东南亚和印度洋的郑和遗迹”和“中国与印尼伊斯兰文化的特点”等议题展开了交流，与会专家还就“一带一路”背景下印尼—中国合作进行了研讨。

本届论坛受的印尼各界关注，前印尼第4任总统瓦希德的夫人欣达·瓦希德、东爪哇省省长戈菲法·英达尔、副省长艾米尔、东爪哇普拉威查雅军区司令Wisnoe Prasetja Boedi少将、东爪哇警区长Luki Hermawan、国会议员Indah Kurnia、郑和国际和平论坛基金会主席马海云教授、泗水SunanAmpel伊斯兰国立大学校长Masdar Hilmy教授、印尼哈夷郑和基金会创办人哈夷柳民源、美国驻泗水总领事，以及伊联东爪哇分会与穆哈默迪亚东爪哇分会代表等约4000余人出席了7月15日当晚的开幕式。相关活动在印尼、香港和中国内地主流媒体上均有报道。

在会议前，宋秀琚副主任还与南·安佩尔国立伊斯兰大学“印尼-中国研究中心”负责人Rihda女士就推动两中心之间的学术合作与交流进行了初步探讨，Rihda女士对此表现出了极大热情。

【附】宋秀琚在论坛上的发言

CHINA AND INDONESIA SHOULD BUILD A ZHENG HE CULTURAL-BRAND JOINTLY

At present, China has had abundant research products which covered Zheng He’s whole life, especially his voyages down the western seas. In China, Zheng He is often called a navigator, a diplomat and civilization emissary. That reflects Chinese scholars’ researches focus mainly on Zheng He's contribution to opening a maritime route and peaceful diplomacy.

In an age when navigational technologies were underdeveloped, Zheng He opened a maritime route with his brave spirit and outstanding talent, and the number, tonnage and range of his fleets were unparalleled. What’s more, Zheng He always carried out a good-neighborly and friendly policy during voyages. When the fleets arrived, he would issue letters of emperor, and erect monuments of friendship in some places. They developed overseas trade. They traded porcelains, silks and tea for herbs, spices and exotic animals. Zheng He also taught advanced production techniques and life knowledge in the local, which promoted cultural exchanges. As a courteous emissary, Zheng He’s tolerant and benevolent measures showed Ming dynasty's diplomatic strategy that took peace as the most precious thing. He earned the respect from foreigners, including Indonesian people, and created a new diplomatic situation between China and Southeast Asia. That certainly promoted political, economic and cultural exchanges among China and Indonesian islands in the Ming dynasty, and strengthened friendship between the Chinese and Indonesian people. The history of Zheng He's voyages have a profound influence on the construction of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and contemporary diplomacy between China and Indonesia based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. However, historical materials are still limited, and there are still some problems needing to be discussed in China.

In contrast, mainstream research in Indonesia focuses on Zheng He's role in religious propaganda and his influence on overseas Chinese society. In Indonesia, Zheng He is regarded as a devout muslim whose faith gave him the power to sail far and he is called muslim admiral. There had been muslims in Southeast Asia before Zheng He's voyages, but he accelerated the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia with his own practice, so most of Indonesian Islam Nine Sages are related to him. Zheng He promoted the integration of overseas Chinese and settled countries. The Zheng He Mosque in Surabaya is a typical case, giving Chinese more confidence to exist and integrate into Indonesian society. Zheng He's voyages have contributed to a new compound culture, that is, the Zheng He Worship in Southeast Asia. This unique Zheng He culture combines other religious cultures, local primitive beliefs and Chinese culture. Such integration is clear in every Zheng He Mosque and San Bao Temple across Indonesia. Zheng He's kindness makes him more charming, so he has even been sanctified in Indonesia which is full of rich religious cultures. More Indonesian people know Zheng He as a legendary figure, because there are many local legends about him, and some of customs related to him have been preserved so far.

Cultural differences between China and Indonesia lead to the differences in Zheng He’s image. Differences lead to mutual attraction, which motivates scholars to strengthen communication. China and Indonesia have far-reaching impact on each other and historical symbols like Zheng He have emerged during the long history of people-to-people exchanges between two countries. We should build aZheng He Culturebrand, explore its modern significance, and promote further development of people-to-people exchanges among China and Southeast Asian countries.

Amity between people depends on mutual understanding, while people-to-people exchange promotes mutual understanding. Simply speaking, people-to-people exchange just like making friends, and common topics are necessary for communication. People-to-people exchange between China and different countries have their own characteristic fields, because target countries’ cultural development characteristics and history of people-to-people exchange are different. Zheng He plays multiple roles. He still enjoys a high social reputation in China and Indonesia, so he is of irreplaceable value in the history of China-Indonesian relation. Zheng He is a valuable resource for people-to-people exchange between two countries, and his voyages belong to a common memory of two countries. However, there are still some shortcomings in usage of this symbol in communication, and researches on Zheng He also have different focuses. If neither party listen or learn from the other during communicating, the purpose of exchange will not be realized. How to make good use of this resource, avoid misplacement in communication and build it into a people-to-people exchange brand. I think this issue deserves further analysis. Researches about Zheng He involve many fields of social science and natural science. A wide range of subjects are covered. Only through overall coordination and concerted cooperation can greater achievements be achieved.

I wish the conference a complete success.

Thank you all！