China's GCI fosters mutual trust and learning for modernization

Tourists ride camels at the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring scenic spot in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province, July 15, 2023. (Photo by Zhang Xiaoliang/Xinhua)

World politics is going through a new phase, and the expert community discusses different ideas about what it could mean. Some believe it could be the end of history, the rise of globalism, a return to traditional rivalry between states, or the decline of states due to tribalism and nationalism. These theories reflect different aspects of the developing reality, providing a comprehensive view of the current global political landscape.

In a landmark move, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the “Global Civilization Initiative” (GCI) at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting in 2023. Following the “Global Development Initiative” and the “Global Security Initiative” launched by Xi Jinping in 2021 and 2022, respectively, this initiative represents a significant public offering from Beijing to the world. As the third pillar of China's proposal for a world order based on collective action rather than coercion, the GCI underscores China's steadfast commitment to global cooperation and cultural diversity.

Theory of clash of civilizations

The GCI stands in stark contrast to theories that predict inevitable clashes or the dominance of civilizations. Samuel P. Huntington, a prominent advocate of such theories, proposed in his 1996 book “The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order” that religious and cultural identity would spark conflict in the post-Cold War era. However, the GCI presents a fresh perspective, suggesting that the world is not destined for cultural conflict, but for mutual understanding and cooperation, marking a significant departure from traditional views.

According to Huntington, the clash of civilizations is inevitable in world history. While earlier world history was primarily associated with the struggles of monarchs, nations, and ideologies, world politics has entered a new phase. In his theory, non-Western civilizations are no longer exploited entities but have become essential players while following Western norms in shaping world history. However, it is now apparent that these assumptions are not justified. For instance, many countries in the Global South are reluctant to join Western-centric alliances and instead prefer to unite within the framework of organizations such as BRICS+ or the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

What is the essence of the GCI?

Unlike the theory of clashe of civilizations, the GCI ideology is based on entirely different principles, namely the ideas of equality, dialogue, inclusiveness, and mutual enrichment between civilizations. These principles underscore the importance of cultural exchanges and learning about differences and similarities and ignite a sense of curiosity and interest in the potential for mutual enrichment and peaceful coexistence that GCI offers.

The relevance of the GCI is that challenges and crises are increasingly emerging worldwide, and the Cold War mentality is being revived with renewed vigor. Instead of economic and humanitarian expediency and cooperation, aggressive geopolitical slogans and ideological tools, turning into offensive rhetoric, have shown a new revival. Will states enter confrontation and conflict, or will they work together for the prosperity of their nations? Will the story move forward or backward? Much will depend on whether humanity can peacefully cope with the differences between civilizations.

The idea behind GCI is that different civilizations should embrace their strengths and work together to achieve progress. In the spirit of this initiative, systematic work should be carried out to solve global problems relating to the future of the world order and humanity. Scientific, cultural, and humanitarian exchanges and mutual learning should become the driving force for the progress of human society. The core concept of GCI includes jointly advocating respect for the diversity of civilizations, jointly advocating the common values of humanity, jointly advocating the importance of inheritance and innovation of civilizations, and jointly advocating the robust international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.

Understanding that civilizations come in numerous varieties is a prerequisite for exchange and mutual learning. The world is home to more than 8 billion people of different religions and non-religious beliefs, divided into more than 200 countries and regions and more than 2,000 ethnic groups. They all carry different historical legacies, ways of thinking, and lifestyles. The diversity of civilizations determines the need for inclusiveness, exchanges, and mutual enrichment. In an interconnected and interdependent world, building a human community of a shared future requires the participation of people worldwide and the support of different civilizations. Ideas of civilizational superiority, the introduction of sanctions, the creation of barriers and conflicts, the imposition of a zero-sum game ideology, and the "winner takes all" principle destroy the harmony of human development.

Humanity lives in one global village, and we are becoming increasingly a community of a shared future where you are part of us, and we are part of you. We have common interests that generate common values. The shared values of humanity, namely peace, development, equality, justice, democracy, and freedom, are ideal values that people worldwide have long strived for. Currently, some countries try to impose their values and development models on others, forming separate communities that exclude others.

History of cooperation between civilizations: The Great Silk Road

The Great Silk Road has a fascinating history highlighting the influence of interactions between different civilizations in the Middle Ages. Between 800 and 1200 AD, this led to remarkable developments in Central Asia, with the region leading the world in trade and economic growth, the size and complexity of its cities, the improvement of the arts and, above all, the development of knowledge in many fields. During this period, many intellectuals excelled in various fields, such as mathematics, astronomy, geography, geology, and medicine. These scholars named algebra, achieved unparalleled accuracy in calculating the diameter of the Earth, wrote books that later became the basis of modern medicine, and produced some of the finest poetry that ever existed in the world.

This flourishing resulted from meeting great personalities from different cultures and exchanging their experiences, knowledge, thoughts, and ideas. Central Asia's location facilitated direct trade and cultural links with China, India, Russia, Europe, and Western Asia. As Frederick Starr noted, "Rarely in history has a more impressive group of scientists appeared in one place and at one time."

For centuries, the Great Silk Road was a vital cultural and scientific exchange channel, connecting different civilizations from the Mediterranean Sea, the Indus and Ganges Valleys, the Tigris and Euphrates, and the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. It brought together people of different nationalities, races and religions, including Greeks, Romans, Chinese, Babylonians, and Indians, as well as followers of Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and other religions. The established Silk Road routes became Great because they strengthened the ties between the civilizations of the Eurasian continent, promoted exchanges and mutual learning between Eastern and Western cultures, and promoted regional development and prosperity. It created a unique spirit of the Silk Road, characterized by peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual training, and cultural enrichment.

New history: Belt and Road Initiative

Chinese President Xi Jinping introduced the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) 11 years ago. It aims to revive the shared spirit of the Silk Road, where people from different ethnic groups, religions, and cultural backgrounds can come together to achieve peace and prosperity. This initiative provides a new interpretation of the New Silk Road. It serves as a platform for building a community of shared interests and a future characterized by political trust, economic integration, and inclusiveness.

The BRI is expected to contribute to the growth of partner countries, much like the Great Silk Road did. According to the World Bank, the BRI has the potential to increase trade flows by 4.1 percent and reduce the cost of global trade by 1.1 to 2.2 percent. The initiative is also projected to increase the GDP of developing nations in East Asia and the Pacific by 2.6-3.9 percent. By improving infrastructure, the BRI will help remove obstacles to global trade, leading to widespread benefits. It is estimated that by 2040, the BRI can increase global GDP by $7.1 trillion per year.

More than 150 countries and international organizations have joined the BRI, making it the largest platform for international cooperation. The GCI proposal will also add a new dimension to the collaboration between countries joining the BRI, making economic and humanitarian exchanges between countries more fruitful. By holding cultural and film festivals, exhibitions of historical relics, and other events, partner countries will strengthen the bridges of friendship between people, facilitate cultural exchange, and promote mutual enrichment.

Contemporary value of GCI

It can be stated that the idea of GCI arose organically from the depths of Chinese history since Chinese civilization, spanning over 5,000 years of continuous history, emerged from the unification of the country's diverse cultural landscape. Today, China is a single multinational country where all 56 ethnic groups are united by diversity. This uniformity determines that national unification always remains at the center of the country's core interests, and a solid and united state is the foundation on which the well-being of the entire people depends.

The inclusiveness of Chinese civilization is illustrated by the harmonious coexistence of various religious beliefs and the openness of Chinese culture to other civilizations. The Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative call for shared prosperity and the exchange of diverse cultures. The emergence of the Chinese nation is a story of nation-building, which emerged as a process of uniting different peoples and cultures while respecting their differences.

An old Chinese saying is, "One studying without exchanges with others will be ignorant and ill-informed." Only active relationships between people from different cultures can establish trust, break down barriers, build friendships and, ultimately, change the world for the better. When people from various backgrounds begin to interact, they can immerse themselves in a new culture, learn a new language, or exchange ideas. These relationships often result in a strong partnership based on mutual understanding, respect and shared interests.

For example, the formation and development of ancient Eastern and Western philosophical thoughts are inseparable from exchanges and integration between early human civilizations. The similarity between Confucius' "world of great harmony" and Plato's "Republic" is not accidental but historically inevitable.

The world has entered a dangerous period of change and upheaval. With the resurgence of the clash of civilization theories, international scientific and cultural exchanges and cooperation face significant challenges. Against this background, building global civilization dialogues and a network of collaboration and exchanges is even more critical and urgent.

"All civilizations created by human society are splendid. They are where each country's modernization drive draws its strength and where its unique feature comes from," said President Xi Jinping, thus calling on countries to explore diverse paths for their modernization.

The GCI highlights the significance of honoring nations' histories and traditions. These should not be considered hindrances to social and economic advancement, but rather driving forces for modernization. This approach appeals to nations that take pride in their identity and are concerned about preserving their unique characteristics in a globalized world that tends to standardize everything. History has shown that finding a balance between tradition and innovation and between self-preservation and modernization is challenging. Modernization processes in different places where people live are inevitable and global, but they can take completely different forms.

The modernization and diversification of civilizations should not be used as an excuse to violate human rights, mistreat the environment, or disregard generally accepted standards of responsible governance. In the relationship between different civilizations, one group should not act as all-knowing teachers while the other obediently follows. Instead, everyone should strive to learn from each other and support one another in modernization and development. GCI guides how this process of building mutual trust, mutual learning, and mutual assistance should be further developed.

Conclusion

GCI puts great emphasis on the fact that differences among civilizations should not be regarded as a disadvantage. Instead, they are an asset of humanity that makes us all more robust, creative, and resilient. Therefore, we must cherish and cultivate such diversity. Any homogenization of civilizations reduces humanity's diversity, which, in turn, inevitably increases global risks and uncertainties. The current resurgence of cultural, ethnic, regional, national, and religious identities is a natural response of nations to globalization and the tendency towards standardization of the world order.

(Author: Djoomart Otorbaev, a former prime minister of the Kyrgyz Republic)