BRI Emerges as a Beacon of Opportunities for International Community

With the historical announcement of eight major initiatives by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), China has carried forward the silk road spirit in seeking common development and prosperity of all countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

President Xi’s keynote speech clearly shows that China is firmly committed to promote the modern and high-quality development together with all the partner countries.

The first successful decade of BRI development has laid down the clear path towards future goals that will definitely fuel up the economic growth and common development in Belt and Road countries.

The attendance of international leaders, heads of international organizations and media representatives has generated a strong message to the international community that China is enjoying the strong diplomatic support and has emerged as a source of investment and technology to fulfill the needs of many countries facing development challenges.

Over the past decade, BRI has facilitated connectivity that is highlighted in bridges, ports, airports, highways and railways jointly built by China and its partners.

The idea of ‘community with a shared future for humanity’ first appeared in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s report to the 18th National Congress of Communist Party of China in 2012 and attracted the attention of international community as it provides multilateral cooperation with the base of mutual consultation and benefits.

This report stated that win-win cooperation needed the awareness of building a community with a shared future for humanity, which expected countries to stick together in times of difficulty, share rights and shoulder obligations and boost the common interests of mankind.

President Xi has repeatedly stressed the idea of building community of shared future with various partners on many international occasions. At the start of the launch of BRI, President Xi proposed building a China-ASEAN community of shared future, a China-Pakistan community of shared future, an Asian community of shared future, and a China-Latin American and Caribbean countries community of shared future and a community of shared future with African countries.

In September 2015, President Xi made an important speech entitled “Working Together to Forge a New Partnership of Win-Win Cooperation and Create a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity” during the general debate at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

In January 2017, President Xi delivered a keynote speech entitled “Working Together to build a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity” at UN headquarters in Geneva.

In his speech he elaborated on the concept of how to build a community with the shared future for humanity, giving answers to the questions on what had happened to the world and how we should respond.

In October 2017, President Xi explicitly stated that to build a community with the shared future for humanity is the lofty goal of China’s diplomacy and called on the people of all countries to work together to “build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.”

The third BRF has told international community that the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity is a proactive approach to the development trend of human society based on the insights into the international situation and general changing trends of the world.

It reflects the global vision beyond narrow-minded national and state interests, state to state relations and differences in ideologies.

The gathering at BRF shows that how China ponders over the future of mankind. Ideally, the international community should endeavor to achieve ‘a community with a shared future for humanity’ that is not just an abstract, imaginary concept.

China and partners have phased in many specific projects and targets of the idea in the first decade of BRI.

In this process, the idea of building a community with a shared future for humanity has been enriching and developing. The Chinese leadership also proposed new concepts such as correctly viewing justice and profit, partnership rather than alliance, a new type of major country relations, global economic governance and new security concepts.

These practical and feasible concepts have continuously enriched diplomacy with Chinese characteristics and have been integrated into the systems of diplomatic theory with Chinese characteristics.

With high quality development of BRI and pursuit of building a community with a shared future for humanity, China continues to uphold peace, promote development and reach cooperation based on mutual benefits at regional and global levels.

At this point of time, while entering in the second decade of BRI cooperation, the third BRF sent a very strong, dynamic, exclusive and open message to the international community that the connectivity and development are the future of our generation for living in a peaceful environment and the initiative is a long-term platform that will always provide opportunities of prosperity to all.

The article reflects the author’s opinions, and not necessarily the views of China Focus.