Xi said China upholds the idea of building a harmonious world with sustained peace and common prosperity.

Thanks to the exchanges among various cultures, people from different countries could get to know Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) from Germany, William Shakespeare (1564-1616) from Britain and Confucius (551 BC-479 BC) from China, Xi noted.

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (C) attends China's presentation after the opening ceremony of the Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 13, 2009. China is the Guest of Honor for the Frankfurt Book Fair. .[Lan Hongguang/Xinhua]

Frankfurt is the hometown of Goethe, the famous German writer and poet.

Cultural exchanges require understanding and respect, as well as overcoming discrimination and misunderstanding in this regard, Xi said.

Cultural diversity, which is a part of human society, should be maintained to build a more colorful world instead of becoming obstacles for cultural exchanges and reasons for conflicts, Xi said.

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping (C) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (2nd R) pose for photos while attending the opening ceremony of the Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 13, 2009. China is the Guest of Honor for the Frankfurt Book Fair. [Rao Aimin/Xinhua]

Different cultures should learn from each other rather than reject each other, he added.

Xi also warmly welcomed worldwide guests to visit the Theme Pavilion set up by the Chinese side for the book fair.

Following the opening ceremony, Xi visited the Theme Pavilion and officially unveiled the hall for public tour.

Arriving in Germany on Saturday morning, Xi held talks with Merkel and met with German President Horst Koehler in Berlin on Monday.

On Wednesday morning, Xi will leave Germany for Bulgaria to continue the third leg of his five-nation Europe tour.