BEIJING: October 1 this year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Over the past 75 years, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the country has undergone tremendous changes, realizing unprecedented development. China has achieved in a few decades what took developed countries several centuries, with its economy now ranking as the second largest in the world. With strenuous efforts, China has realized its first centenary goal – building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. China’s influence on the world has never been as profound and long-lasting as it is today. Likewise, the world’s attention to China has never been as deep, and focused as it is now.
As globalization deepens, nations are becoming more interdependent, while various global challenges continue to emerge. Humanity faces natural challenges such as climate change and the loss of biodiversity, as well as common global threats like extreme poverty, nuclear proliferation, political extremism, hegemony, and escalating geopolitical conflicts. The need for cooperation has never been more urgent or important than it is today, experts said.
“Where is humanity headed?” has become a significant question concerning the future and destiny for all.
To answer this question, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity in 2013. This is seen as China’s solution to addressing global challenges and creating a better future through concerted efforts of the international community. “The common interest of all humankind is in a world united and peaceful rather than divided and volatile,” Xi said, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Building a community with a shared future for humanity is not about replacing one system with another or one civilization with another. Instead, it is about countries with different social systems, ideologies, historical contexts, and levels of development achieving mutual benefits, sharing rights, and jointly bearing responsibilities in international affairs, experts said. “Unlike the confrontational or competitive approaches that often dominate international relations, this concept advocates for inclusivity and multilateralism,” Hamad Al Hosani, senior researcher at TRENDS Research and Advisory, a think tank of the United Arab Emirates, told the Global Times. “It also reflects a shift from traditional approach to one that embraces a holistic and interconnected global outlook.”
Hosani added that this concept helps address global challenges by focusing on shared responsibilities, such as equitable resource distribution, environmental stewardship, and collective security measures. It encourages countries to promote a sense of global solidarity and cooperation in managing transnational threats. China’s vision, embodied in initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, focuses on infrastructure investment, trade connectivity, and mutual development without imposing political conditions, Hosani told the Global Times, adding that “this reflects a more pragmatic and cooperative approach that respects the individual paths of nations.”
However, many Western development ideologies, particularly those rooted in neoliberalism, often advocate for reforms and governance structures based on Western norms. These Western approaches have historically been linked to conditions imposed on developing nations, Hosani noted. Therefore, the Chinese path offers developing countries an alternative model of engagement, one that values equal partnership and mutual benefit rather than hierarchical or conditional relationships. “This has attracted many countries, particularly in the Global South, to China’s approach, which they see as less intrusive and more respectful of their developmental needs and choices,” Hosani said.
Jeffrey Sachs, a professor of economics at Columbia University, who has served as a Special Advisor to three UN Secretaries-General, told Chinese media in a recent interview that he believes there are two competing visions of the world. The first vision entails one country or region leading the rest of the world, a belief held by elites in the Western-led world since 1800. The second vision is one in which all parts of the world share in true common prosperity – In UN jargon, “No one left behind.”
Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times that China haas provided substantial aid to the Global South over the past decade and established various organizations such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which reflect China’s principles of equality, inclusiveness, cooperation, and sustainability. “In contrast, the US exhibits a hegemonic mindset, most clearly illustrated by NATO’s strategic concept, which emphasizes an order where alliances dominate international affairs and countries outside these alliances are dictated by US directives.
The expansion of NATO in recent years, even into the Asia-Pacific region, represents an arrangement aimed at dividing the world into different camps,” Li said. The primary damage caused by this Western value system is the undermining of the principle of indivisible security and the disruption of global trend toward economic integration. Li elaborated that the compromising of the indivisible security is reflected in US’ stirring up divisions in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, while the global economic integration is disrupted by the US’ building of “small yard, high fence” and the promotion of “near-shoring” and “friend-shoring,” which is irresponsible.
Over the 11 years since the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity was proposed, China has been both an advocate and a practitioner. Through joint efforts, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has transformed from a Chinese proposal to an international practice, from an idea to concrete actions. It has not only brought tangible benefits to the participating countries but also contributed positively to promoting healthy globalization, addressing global development challenges, and improving global governance.
Projects such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, China-Europe Railway Express, China-Laos Railway, Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, Piraeus Port have greatly benefited local people. By the end of June 2023, China had signed over 200 cooperation documents with more than 150 countries across five continents and over 30 international organizations under the BRI framework, creating countless iconic projects as well as smaller, people-centered projects. Bojan Lalic, director of the Belt and Road Institute in Belgrade, told the Global Times that different from the West’s selective alliances, China has opted for a path of inclusive multilateralism, advocating for broader cooperation and promoting inclusive frameworks such as the BRI to facilitate development across numerous nations.
“As developing countries increasingly engage with China, a shift in global power dynamics may occur, enabling a multipolar world where various development models coexist,” Lalic said.
Under the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, President Xi proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative successively from 2021 to 2023. These three initiatives focus on addressing global development challenges, eliminating global security dilemmas, and promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.
So far, more than 100 countries and international organizations have voiced support for the Global Development Initiative, with over 70 countries joining this “Group of Friends.” More than 200 development cooperation projects have yielded results, according to the People’s Daily Overseas Edition.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres praised the Global Development Initiative as a “valued contribution to addressing common challenges and accelerating the transition to a more sustainable and inclusive future.” –The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
