Promoting construction of Community with a Shared Future for Mankind with youth power

Yu Yunquan, President of Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS)

Chinese President Xi Jinping has lately replied to a letter from the overseas young participants of the Global Young Leaders Dialogue (GYLD) program, which has once again brought great encouragement and firm confidence to young people around the world, bringing them together to the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. The world is now undergoing profound changes never seen in a century that have been further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been proved time and again that the interests of all countries influence each other and the cultures of all nations inspire each other. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is the only right way forward. At present, global governance faces such challenges as environmental changes, wealth gaps, epidemic and diseases, regional turmoil, trade protectionism, and populism, the reality that humanity shares weal and woe has further been highlighted, adding to people’s expectation of a better world.

Although history, culture, system, and level of development vary in different countries, by and only by uniting and cooperating in the spirit of shared destiny, as well as adhering to and carrying forward the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and liberty of all mankind, we can solve the century-old problems and global challenges, as we make steady progress towards the goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind. Xi stressed during his speech at the general debate of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, “We should embrace the vision of a community with a shared future in which everyone is bound together. We should reject attempts to build blocs to keep others out and oppose a zero-sum approach. We should see each other as members of the same big family, pursue win-win cooperation, and rise above ideological disputes and do not fall into the trap of ‘clash of civilizations’. More importantly, we should respect a country’s independent choice of development path and model. The world is diverse in nature, and we should turn this diversity into a constant source of inspiration driving human advancement. This will ensure that human civilizations remain colorful and diversified”. In pursuit of building a community with a shared future for mankind, it is particularly necessary to ensure harmony, coexistence and win-win cooperation based on cultural respect and integration of civilizations among countries and nations across the globe.

Youths are born to dream, and the youths who strive for their dreams shine the brightest. The construction of a community with a shared future for mankind cannot be accomplished overnight. The road to one’s dream will inevitably be fraught with thorns, which requires determined efforts. Young people are the keenest, most active and energetic people of our time on the way to explore the diversity and possibilities of the world and unleash the greatest potentials to lead the world to a bright future. It is the young generation’s responsibility and the common aspiration of people worldwide to let the admiration of peace be passed on from generation to generation, to let the driving force of development flow, and to let the brilliance of civilization shine.

Friendship between the peoples holds the key to sound state-to-state relations, and friendship between the youth holds the key to amity between the peoples. The letter exchanged between President Xi and international youth has no doubt encouraged more young people around the globe to walk hand in hand in realizing their dreams. The more dreams, skills and responsibilities young people worldwide have, the more promising and hopeful the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind will be. In the face of difficulties, great accomplishment can only be achieved while integrating the ideal of life into the cause of the country and the shared dream of mankind. Young people around the globe need to take more solid steps to explore the “global village”, learn more about each other’s similarities and differences, promote open dialogue and cultural exchanges, and develop mutual communication and trust.

The Global Young Leaders Dialogue (GYLD) program jointly initiated by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS) and the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) aims at building a platform for youth with diverse regional, cultural and disciplinary backgrounds to exchange ideas, learn from each other and enhance friendship, in an effort to gather more globalized, younger and diversified forces for the improvement of global governance, and encourage young people to aim high and work hard in pursuing their shared dreams. Over the past six months, the program has held six GYLD China Tours, as well as activities such as the WiseDemo Campaign and the GYLD 2021 Annual Forum. The program is making its way as an important platform for young people around the world to make friends, share ideas and integrate resources, and is welcomed by overseas young friends.

Relying on the GYLD program, we will continue to innovate activities, enrich dialogue and attract more young people to participate as we embark on the new journey into a broader future. In association with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we will continue to stimulate the intellectual vitality of Chinese and overseas young people, strengthen intellectual exchange and mutual learning, and give full play to the unique role of international youth in innovation, creation and empowerment of the future, injecting youth power into the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Contributed by Yu Yunquan, President of Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies

Translated by Wang Xinyuan