"For us, wushu is not only physical training," said Rosales. "It is also about building confidence through constant challenges and making friends from different countries through international competitions."

As the global governing body of the sport, IWUF has 162 national and territorial members across five continents, with one of its core missions being to promote friendship and mutual understanding.

The sentiments expressed by individuals at the Tianjin venue were not isolated personal impressions, but part of a broader and increasingly stable global consensus.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization says on its official page on traditional sports and games that such practices help enhance intercultural dialogue and peace, reinforce youth empowerment and promote ethical sports practices.

At this event, which brought together 1,179 participants from 78 countries and regions, the value embodied in a pin exchange or a pat on the shoulder echoed the traditional Chinese martial philosophy of "stopping conflict as the true meaning of martial arts", said Wu Jing, a Chinese actor and IWUF goodwill ambassador.

"Harmony in diversity and stopping war is the true essence of martial valor," he added. "We hope to give the youth a deeper understanding — not just of martial arts, but the chivalric tradition of the form and the wider culture that surrounds it."

Ma Yucong contributed to this story.