Facing the pandemic, the whole world is one family

On January 18, 2017, President Xi Jinping delivered a speech titled “Work Together to Build a Community of Shared Future for Mankind” at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva. In response to human development issues, he put forward Chinese propositions of building a community with a shared future for mankind and achieving shared and win-win development. China’s propositions not only embodied the essence of Chinese culture but also highlighted China’s people-oriented global governance idea. After 4 years, the vision has shown profound foresight and sagacity. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, building a global community of health for all has become the main theme of the international community’s joint fight against the pandemic, and China has become a custodian of global public health.

Building a global community of health for all is at the core of China’s propositions, as well as a theoretical innovation in global health governance in the new era. It is built on common interests, interdependency, and sustainable development of the international community. In the face of the pandemic, all countries must work together and embed the idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind in their diplomacy and practices to protect the Earth. As the world’s second-largest economy, China shares weal and woe with all other countries in global health security. China’s development has been linked with the rest of the world. The proposition of building a global community of health for all is not a quick fix, but a long-term plan proposed by China to achieve sustainable development and ensure global health.

Moreover, China’s vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind paves the path for building a global community of health for all. Virus knows no borders. The strongest country cannot defeat the virus all on its own. Multilateral cooperation is the only way to prevent and control the global pandemic, and the only way to build a community with a shared future for mankind. President Xi emphasized that multilateralism is an effective way to maintain peace and promote development. We must uphold multilateralism and ensure the authority and effectiveness of the multilateral system. In June 2020, President Xi met with the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission via video link. He emphasized that no matter how the international situation evolves, China will take the side of multilateralism. This fully shows that multilateralism has become China’s guiding principle in building a community of health and a shared future for mankind.

To practice multilateralism, international organizations should leverage their positive influences and play their roles. President Xi pointed out in his speech in 2017 in Geneva that epidemics such as bird flu, Ebola, and Zika have sounded the alarm for international health security. The WHO should play a leadership role in strengthening epidemic monitoring and information sharing, practices and technologies. Since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, China has repeatedly emphasized the importance of WHO leadership in global epidemic prevention and control, and also the function of multilateral cooperation mechanisms such as G20, APEC, BRICs, and Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

China’s propositions demonstrate China’s responsible activist role in global governance. In the speech, President Xi quoted an old Chinese saying, “great visions can be realized only through actions.” To build a community of a shared future for mankind, the key lies in action. China supports the development of new multilateral financial institutions such as AIIB, providing more public products to the international community. In the field of global health governance, China actively provides public health products, turning vision into practice.

President Xi’s speech at the Palace of Nations in Geneva provided answers to “what has happened to the world and how should we respond?” The propositions not only convey China’s pursuit of building a better world, but also fully show its sense of responsibility for protecting people’s livelihoods and rights. At the opening ceremony of the 73rd World Health Assembly vide conference, President Xi called on us to join hands to protect the lives and health of people of all countries and to build a global community of health for all. This is a timely move by China, and also a theoretical innovation for human development.

Contributed by Jiyong Jin, Shanghai International Studies University, Department of International Relations and Public Affairs

Translated by Ren Meiqi