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In a white paper released during a press conference on September 26, China outlined its proposals for solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges.
Titled A Global Community of Shared Future: China’s Proposals and Actions, the white paper was released by the State Council Information Office. It reviews and introduces the China-led vision of co-building a global community of shared future, providing China’s stance on and solutions to rising regional conflicts and growing uncertainties worldwide.
“We can no longer interpret the reality we are living in or find satisfactory solutions to the conundrums we are facing by means of traditional approaches,” the white paper reads. “Humanity is in great need of new ideas that generate positive developments and conform to positive historical trends.”
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s proposal of a global community of shared future. Over the past decade, the development of a global community of shared future has been transformed from a concept into action.
Modern means
The vision of a global community of shared future was first raised by President Xi while addressing the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 2013.
Over the past decade, the building of a global community of shared future has made strides, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the press conference.
This vision, supported by the international community, especially developing countries, has been enshrined in several United Nations General Assembly resolutions for six consecutive years since 2017, and has been included in several resolutions and declarations of multilateral mechanisms, Wang added.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a China-proposed initiative to boost connectivity along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes, is a vivid example of creating this type of international community as well as a global public good and cooperation platform that China offers to the world, according to the white paper.
As of July, more than three quarters of the world’s countries and more than 30 international organizations had signed agreements with China on Belt and Road cooperation. Over the past decade, many BRI projects have already achieved tangible results and sustainable progress.
The infrastructure construction in the BRI countries has given strong impetus to the economic and social development of these countries. For example, the China-Laos Railway, which started operating in late 2021, has realized the long-cherished wish of the Laotian people to transform Laos from a landlocked country into a land-linked hub. According to the white paper, the railway’s construction took 11 years, with 167 tunnels and 301 bridges built and more than 110,000 local jobs created. Some 2,000 km of roads and canals for villages along the railway were also constructed to benefit locals.
The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia has become the first railway in Southeast Asia with a design speed of 350 km an hour. The Mombasa-Nairobi Railway in Kenya has added more than 2 percentage points to local economic growth. The China-Europe Railway Express serves as a “steel camel fleet” between China and Europe.
In addition to infrastructure projects, China has provided skills and technology training to people from other nations, especially developing nations. For example, over the past 20 years, China has held 270 international training sessions on Juncao technology. Juncao, literally “mushroom grass,” technology uses herbaceous plants as a substrate for growing both edible as well as medicinal fungi. More than 10,000 people from 106 countries have participated in the sessions.
In Fiji, this technology is considered a new beacon of hope for island agriculture; in Lesotho, farmers refer to Juncao as “the grass of prosperity” because of its quick returns; in Rwanda, more than 3,800 poor households have doubled, sometimes even quadrupled, their annual income by implementing the technology.
Cong Liang, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, introduced at the press conference that BRI cooperation has followed the principles of being “open, green, clean and high-standard to promote sustainable development.”
“Chinese-funded enterprises have participated in the investment and construction of a large number of clean energy projects such as the Zhanatas wind power generation in Kazakhstan,” Cong added. “The enterprises also built animal passages during the construction of projects such as the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway, playing an important role in building a harmonious coexistence between humankind and nature in the BRI countries.”
“China tries its best to help developing countries improve their ability to address climate change and supports their green and low-carbon energy development,” the white paper states. “It has trained approximately 2,300 officials and technical personnel from more than 120 developing countries in the field of climate change.”
We are the world
In addition to the BRI, the China-proposed Global Development Initiative, in September 2021, calling for steering global development toward a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth in face of the severe shocks of COVID-19; Global Security Initiative, in April 2022, calling for bolstering confidence and jointly addressing global threats and challenges to build a better world for all; and Global Civilizations Initiative, in March this year, calling for respect for the diversity of civilizations, have also taken root and borne fruits, according to the white paper. The first two initiatives have gained support from over 100 countries and the Global Civilizations Initiative has received positive feedback from some countries.
Li Qun, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism, said at the press conference that China has signed cooperation agreements with 157 countries in the fields of culture, cultural heritage and tourism. Over the past decade, China has cooperated with countries around the world to organize more than 500 exhibitions of cultural relics, and Chinese experts have carried out projects to preserve and restore cultural relics at 11 sites in six countries, including the ancient city of Khiva in Uzbekistan and Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
“In this global village, all human beings are one big family,” the white paper continues. “With their interests intertwined and futures interlocked, countries are turning into a community of shared future… It conforms to the trend of the times, echoes the call for global cooperation and contributes to a more just and equitable international order.”
China has been committed to fulfilling its role as a responsible major country, pushing for the resolution of international and regional flashpoints, such as the Korean Peninsula, Palestine, the Iranian nuclear issue, Syria, and Afghanistan.
China has also made public its position on the political settlement of the Russia-Ukraine crisis and sent a special envoy to have in-depth interactions and exchanges with the parties involved.
In addition, China played a mediating role in facilitating the historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran earlier this year, setting a positive example for other countries in the region to resolve their disputes and differences.
“We should provide sustainable driving forces for mutual learning among civilizations,” Wang said, adding that the key is to adhere to the principles that no civilization is superior to others and that values should “not be used as political tools or weapons of confrontation.”
“We are ready to work with all parties, promote unity and cooperation, and adhere to the vision of building a global community of shared future,” Wang said. “Together, we want to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.”
(Print Edition Title: A Vision Statement)
Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon
Source: (Beijing Review)
