Building community with shared future shows China’s spirit of linking its development with noble cause of development for humanity

Chinese President and General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Xi Jinping, in March 2013 introduced China’s vision of fostering a new type of international relations with win-win cooperation at the core and the notion of building a human community with a shared future. This year marks the 10-year anniversary since the proposal of this important concept. During the time, this initial introduction was followed by a number of initiatives and proposals, including the Belt and Road Initiative, the common values of humanity, the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI). What is built in any of these initiatives is that countries are interdependent, mankind has a shared future, and the international community must get united for cooperation.

The 20th CPC National Congress made it clear that promoting the building of a human community with a shared future is one of the essential requirements of the Chinese modernization drive. Building a human community with a shared future is not only the Chinese solution to the “questions of the times” facing the world today but also a righteous way that brings benefits to the people of the world. It embodies China’s global vision and perspective, as well as the spirit of a major country ready to shoulder its responsibility that links its own development with the noble cause of peace and development for humanity.

The concept of building a human community with a shared future carries forward traditional Chinese philosophical beliefs such as “harmony is of paramount value”, “achieve universal prosperity in the whole world” and “unity of man and nature”. It is in line with the diplomatic traditions of New China, including the independent foreign policy of peace, the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, and a win-win strategy of opening up and building a harmonious world. It also reflects the common aspiration of people all over the world for development and progress and the beneficial experience of some regions and countries in building communities, embodying both salient Chinese features and common values of mankind.

The features of building a community of shared future for mankind are lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness and inclusiveness, and a clean and beautiful environment. These five aspects, taken together, constitute the overall approach to create a community of shared future for mankind, depict a bright future for the progress of international relations and represent a major innovation in the theory of major-country diplomacy with Chinese features.

The essence is that the future and destiny of each nation and country are closely connected. Everyone should pull together for a common cause, share abundance and suffering, and seek the broadest common interests of countries to build this planet into a harmonious family.

President Xi solemnly declared that China will advance the building of a world that enjoys lasting peace through dialogue and consultation, a world that enjoys universal security through joint contribution and shared benefits, a world that enjoys common prosperity through win-win cooperation, an open and inclusive world through exchanges and mutual learning, and a clean and beautiful world through green and low-carbon development.

To build a human community with a shared future, it is important to adhere to common development and inject impetus into solving the global development deficit. At present, the world is facing serious development problems. According to statistics, nearly half of the world’s population lives on less than $5.50 a day. Years of global poverty reduction achievements have been in vain as a result of the epidemic, and the number of people suffering hunger has increased by more than 150 million. Some 574 million people will still be living in extreme poverty by the end of 2030. President Xi put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI) to promote the resolution of the urgent problems faced by developing countries, and to accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. More than 100 countries and many international organizations including the UN have supported this initiative, and nearly 70 countries have joined the “Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative”.

It is important to promote common security and contribute to the realization of lasting peace for mankind. Security of all countries is interrelated today. Without genuine security, it would be impossible to create a community of shared future for mankind. China takes the path of peaceful development, and other countries should also follow the path of peaceful development. Only when everyone takes the path of peaceful development can countries live in harmony, and lasting peace. For this reason, President Xi proposed a Global Security Initiative, emphasizing that mankind is an indivisible security community, advocating a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security concept, paying attention to the legitimate security concerns of all countries, and advocating the construction of a balanced, effective, and sustainable security architecture, to resolve differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation. This is an innovative measure to deal with international security challenges and a fundamental solution to achieving long-term peace and stability in the world.

It is important to promote common opening-up and create opportunities for deepening cooperation and win-win results. China created two miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability thanks to reform and opening up. Openness is a two-way street. One cannot ask others to open up while closing his own door. Politicizing scientific and technological issues, weaponizing ideology, and artificially blocking scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation will only lead to the stagnation of scientific and technological progress.

It is important to build a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation, which means that all countries and people should enjoy dignity, development, and security, abandon the outdated mindset of seeking alliance or confrontation, act along the trend of the times, treat each other as equals, value consultation and mutual understanding, and explore partnerships that are inclusive and constructive instead of targeting at an imagined enemy or any third party. The future of the world should be controlled by the people of all countries, international rules should be written by all countries, global affairs should be governed by all countries, and development results should be shared by all countries.

By Ivona Ladjevac

Deputy Director

Institute of International Politics and Economics

Belgrade, Serbia