“True friends always feel close to each other, no matter the distance between them.”Since Matteo Ricci arrived in China 430 years ago as a Jesuit missionary from Rome, Italy, he had received rigorous education in humanities and sciences, Ricci possessed the cultural sophistication and scientific knowledge emblematic of European intellectuals during the pinnacle of the Renaissance. To adapt to Chinese society and integrate into its cultural life, he introduced the scientific and cultural knowledge he had mastered to China, spanning disciplines such as astronomy and calendrical science, geography, physics, and mathematics. He also systematically and profoundly conveyed China’s realities to the West. Most crucially, Ricci’s cultural accommodation strategy influenced generations of Western intellectuals, revealing the vast differences between Eastern and Western cultures. This approach encouraged humility, appreciation, and pragmatism in learning China’s language and culture, fostering exchanges and cooperation grounded in mutual understanding. His ideas remain remarkably modern and continue to inspire future generations. （Huang Yichuan ）