China's vision of a global community with a shared future
A new dawn
China has been committed to fulfilling its role as a responsible major country, pushing for the resolution of international and regional flashpoints.
What was sown in spring will yield rich fruits in autumn. In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the idea of building a global community of a shared future. His proposal lights the path forward as the world fumbles for solutions, and represents China's contribution to global efforts to protect the shared home and create a better future of prosperity for all. Through the personal involvement and advocacy of President Xi Jinping, the development of a global community of shared futures has been transformed from a concept into action.
A global community of a shared future includes cultural, economic, social, political, security and safeguarding international relations. It shows us that there is only one destiny for mankind, and therefore mankind must understand the common ground of mankind.
As he wrote: “Mankind, by living in the same global village in the same era where history and reality meet, has increasingly emerged as a community of common destiny in which everyone has in himself a little bit of others.”
Hence, this statement is the common ground of the international community. At the socio-cultural level, it refers to the desire for development—civilisation exchange, knowledge sharing, socioeconomic development and mutual learning.
As we look back on the past decade, the concept of a global community of shared futures has gradually improved. From state visits to multilateral summits, President Xi Jinping has systemically elaborated on this major concept at multiple international events and deepened the international community's understanding of it.
Three initiatives
As a result, a well-conceived theoretical system based on three initiatives has emerged. The first one is the Global Development Initiative (GDI), which aims to support the timely achievement of all 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The second one is the Global Security Initiative (GSI), which aims to eliminate the root causes of international conflicts, improve global security governance, and encourage joint international efforts to create stability and peace.
And the third one is the Global Civilisation Initiative (GCI), which advocates respect for the diversity of civilisations, the common values of humanity, the importance of inheritance and innovation of civilisations, as well as robust international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation. These initiatives reflect China's vision and foreign policy towards the world to achieve development, prosperity, security and stability.
The proposal's general objectives are to build a world of lasting peace through dialogue and consultation; a world of common security for all through joint efforts; a world of common prosperity through win-win cooperation; an open and inclusive world through exchanges and mutual learning; and to make our world clean and beautiful by pursuing green and low-carbon development.
Global goals
A global community of a shared future pursues the common values of humanity, follows the fundamental path of fostering a new type of international relations, and uses the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a practical platform. Last year also marked the 10th anniversary of BRI, which aims to enhance policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity and inject new impetus into the global economy. Over the past ten years, more than 150 countries and over 30 international organisations have signed Belt and Road cooperation documents with China. China hosted three Belt and Road Forums (BRFs) and launched, together with its cooperation partners, more than 20 multilateral dialogue and cooperation platforms in sectors of railway, port, finance, taxation, energy, green development, green investment, disaster risk reduction, anti-corruption, think tank, media, culture exchanges, etc.
Solidarity
The influence and impacts of a global community of a shared future are that it has been included in UN Assembly Resolutions for six consecutive years and incorporated into the resolutions and declarations of multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICS. It has garnered the international community's understanding and support, especially among developing countries. More and more countries and people realise that this vision reflects the pursuit of peace, justice and progress, creating the greatest synergy for building a better world.
China has been committed to fulfilling its role as a responsible major country, pushing for the resolution of international and regional flashpoints. Additionally, for example, China played a mediating role in facilitating the historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran last year, setting a positive example for other countries in the region to resolve their disputes and differences.
The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century. The Cold War mentality is reemerging, the bullying acts of powers are becoming more harmful, and non-traditional security challenges such as terrorism, cyber-attacks, transnational crimes, and biosecurity continue to rise. Humanity is once again at a crossroads, facing a consequential choice for its future. People from all nations recognise that, in the face of a deepening global crisis, no country can prosper in isolation or meet all challenges independently. There is no future for bloc confrontation and zero-sum games. Only through solidarity can we steer clear of the historical cycles of war and peace, rise and fall, order and chaos. This is why China's vision of a global community of a shared future draws a new blueprint for a better world.
**Ndatulumukwa Haikali is the founder of Campfire Group.