Building Community With Shared Future

The China Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs was held in Beijing on December 27-28, 2023. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), President of the People’s Republic of China and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the conference and delivered an important address. President Xi presented a systematic review of the historic achievements and valuable experience of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era, gave a profound exposition on the international environment and historical mission of China’s external work on the new journey, and made comprehensive plans for China’s external work for the present and coming periods.

It was pointed out at the conference that building a community with a shared future for mankind is the core tenet of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy. It is how China proposes to solve the questions of what kind of world to build and how to build it based on the deepening understanding of the laws governing the development of human society. In summary, in building a community with a shared future for mankind, the goal is to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity. The pathway is promoting global governance that features extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, the guiding principle is to apply the common values of humanity, the basic underpinning lies in building a new type of international relations, the strategic guidance comes from the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative, and the platform for action is high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

World harmony

On this basis, China seeks to bring countries together to meet challenges and achieve prosperity for all, and usher in a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress for the world. The tenet reflects the Chinese Communists’ worldview, perception of order, and values, accords with the common aspiration of people in all countries, and points the direction for the progress of world civilisations. It is also the noble goal pursued by China in conducting major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics for the new era. CPC is not only dedicated to pursuing happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, but also dedicated to human progress and world harmony. 

Building a community with a shared future for mankind reflects the high degree of unity between CPC’s original mission and the trend of the times, and embodies the greatest common divisor that people of all countries hope for a better world. It has significant theoretical value and profound historical significance, and increasingly demonstrates strong influence, vitality, and appeal. Since the dawn of this new era, building a community with a shared future for mankind has developed from a Chinese initiative to an international consensus, from a promising vision to substantive actions, and from a conceptual proposition to a scientific system. It has served as a glorious banner leading the progress of the times. 

From bilateral to multilateral, from regional to global, China has built various forms of community with a shared future with dozens of countries and regions in various areas such as health, nature, internet, and ocean, playing a constructive role in promoting regional peace and development and making unique contribution to solving global problems. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a vivid example of building a global community of shared future, and a global public good and cooperation platform provided by China to the world. 

Since introducing the BRI ten years ago, based on extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefits, China has pursued open, green, clean, and high-standard cooperation to promote sustainable development and improve people's lives, and advanced high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. It has laid the groundwork and set up the frameworks of BRI cooperation, delivering tangible results and achieving sustainable progress. Together, participants in the initiative have jointly advanced "hard connectivity", "soft connectivity" and "people-to-people connectivity", setting up an important platform that has enabled wide participation, built international consensus and pooled the strengths of all parties. 

The Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilisation Initiative proposed by China guide the advance of human society across these three dimensions. Resonating and complementing each other, they have evolved into a crucial cornerstone for building a global community of shared future, offering China's solutions to major challenges pertaining to peace and development for humanity. The international community has spoken highly of these three global initiatives, acknowledging that they reflect China's global vision and growing international influence and provide comprehensive solutions to the challenges confronting humanity. 

Good principles

All good principles should adapt to changing times in order to remain relevant. A broad consensus of solidarity and cooperation has developed in the international community behind the proposal and the implementation of the concept of a global community of shared future to address the challenges facing humanity. Looking to the future, it is bound to shine as a pioneering thought with the power of truth that transcends time and space, opening up a beautiful prospect of common development, long-term stability, and sustained prosperity for human society.

When all countries unite in pursuing the cause of common good, plan together, and act together day by day towards the right direction of building a global community of shared future, we can build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity, and jointly create a better future for all of humanity.

(The author is China's Ambassador to Nepal.)