Today’s world is rife with uncertainties. While witnessing remarkable progress, transformation and adaptation, we humankind find ourselves confronting numerous challenges and multiplying risks. The international security landscape is marked by a blend of disorders, with traditional and non-traditional security issues intricately woven together.
With these unprecedented challenges, human society stands at a juncture, faced once again with critical decisions. Amidst a longing for a brighter future, people remain perplexed as to what lies ahead. Across the world, two fundamental questions echo —what has happened to the world and how should we respond?
In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping, drawing from a global perspective and grounded in China’s realities, proposed the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind—a vision born from profound contemplation on the world we ought to construct and how to shape.
At the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs in late December 2023, President Xi Jinping expounded the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind—the central theme in China’s external endeavours. Over the course of a decade, this initiative has transcended its origin as a Chinese initiative, garnering international consensus and transforming from a mere promise into concrete actions.
It has evolved from a conceptual proposition to a robust scientific framework. This vision stands as a banner, catering for the common aspiration of and guiding progress across nations and civilisations, and has thus received broad support and endorsement from the global community.
Community with a shared future
In the pursuit of building a community with a shared future for mankind, our goal is to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world characterised by enduring peace. Our guiding principle rests upon the application of universal human values. Rather than a divided and volatile world, the collective interest of all humankind lies in world unity and peace.
Over the past decade, the common human values — peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom — have taken root deeper in the hearts of the people. The destinies of all nations and countries, and of all people are interconnected and therefore, we must stand unwaveringly together through adversity and prosperity alike. China remains steadfast in its commitment to global harmony, unequivocally opposing hegemony and power politics, while firmly rejecting unilateralism, protectionism and bullying practice. China actively engages in reforming and developing the global governance system, contributing to human progress. By incorporating the vision of an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world — one that embraces lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity — in the Charter of the Communist Party of China, China honours the spirit of the UN Charter. Let us heed the call to “practise tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours” and to pool our efforts to accomplish the noble aims set forth in the UN Charter.
In the pursuit of building a community with a shared future for mankind, the platform for action is high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and the pathway is to promote global governance characterised by extensive consultation and joint contributions for shared benefits.
Over the past decade since President Xi proposed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), BRI cooperation has expanded from the Eurasian continent to encompass Africa and Latin America. Over 150 countries and more than 30 international organisations have signed Belt and Road cooperation agreements. Since its inception, the BRI has created more than 420,000 jobs and lifted almost 40 million people out of poverty beyond China’s borders.
BRI cooperation is based on the principle of “planning together, building together, and benefiting together.” It transcends differences between civilisations, cultures, social systems, and developmental stages. By forging new pathways of exchanges among countries, the BRI has established a new framework for international cooperation.
Collective pursuit of development
Indeed, the BRI symbolises humanity’s collective pursuit of development for the well-being of all. Sri Lanka, as one of the first participants in the BRI Initiative, has witnessed fruitful outcomes from BRI cooperation over the past decade. Flagship BRI projects, including the Colombo Port City and Hambantota Port, have not only laid a robust foundation to provide significant impetus for Sri Lanka to overcome difficulties and resume economic and social progress, but also enhanced its unique influence in the region. In the pursuit of building a community with a shared future for mankind, the foundation lies in the establishment of a new type of international relations.
The strategic guideline is derived from the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilisation Initiative.
As members of a shared global village, all countries shall respect one another, seek common ground while preserving differences, live together in peace, and collaborate to address global challenges and build a better future. It is with such consideration that President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Civilisation Initiative (GCI), calling on all countries, regardless of size or geographical location, to adopt a broader view and pay more consideration to the future of humanity while pursuing their own interests.
International relations
China promotes and practises multilateralism, promoting equality of all countries in terms of rights, rules and opportunities. It is committed to building a new type of international relations characterised by mutual respect, equity and justice, and win-win cooperation. We believe that only by doing so can we better promote common development and enhance the well-being of humanity. Across the globe, we are witnessing an acceleration of significant transformations. Changes of the world, of our times, and of historical significance are unfolding like never before, and the world has plunged into a period of turbulence and transformation. In such times, humanity, bound by common stakes, cannot remain unaffected in the event of major crises and common challenges. Therefore, solidarity and cooperation emerge as the only rightful choices.
Despite the upheavals, we must maintain unwavering confidence in humanity’s overall trajectory towards development and progress. The dynamics of world history continue to move forward, albeit with twists and turns, and the trend towards an international community with a shared future remains strong. As long as we unite to face challenges, we are to achieve prosperity for all and user in a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress for our world.
