On January 15, H.E. Ambassador Zhou Jian published a signed article entitled Upholding the Tradition of Always Standing Together and Jointly Build a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind on the Fiji Sun. The full text of the article is as follows:

“When you look at the Earth from the outer space, you will discover that the environment for human survival is very small, and mankind should coexist peacefully with each other. Thus, when I saw the scenes of war and photos of refugees, my heart felt extremely uncomfortable. There is no greater sorrow for mankind than to create harm artificially.”-- Chinese astronaut Fei Junlong said that after his first trip into space.

The world today is undergoing profound development, changes and adjustments. Mankind is moving forward faced with many positive factors but also difficulties and challenges. “What kind of world should we build, and how should we build this world?” has become a question of the times for all mankind. To this question, Chinese solution is: build a community with a shared future for mankind and create a better world.

I. Why did China propose the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind?

On March 23, 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the Moscow State Institute of International Relations: “It is a world where countries are linked with and dependent on one another at a level never seen before. Mankind, by living in the same global village in the same era where history and reality meet, has increasingly emerged as a community of common destiny in which everyone has in himself a little bit of others.”

Indeed, as human society develops, nations have seen their individual markets merged into a global one, their respective experiences combined into world history, and the international community turned into a global village. At present, global geopolitical conflicts are intensifying, hotspot issues are frequently arising, economic recovery is weak, development gap is widening, and the development of human civilization is facing many challenges. Global crises such as the pandemic, climate change and the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water have repeatedly warned us that, countries are not riding separately in some 190 small boats, but are rather all in a giant ship on which our shared destiny hinges. Small boats may not survive a storm, but a giant ship is strong enough to brave a storm. No country is an independent and closed island, and no country can overcome global development challenges on its own. In the universe there is only one Earth, the shared home of humanity and one shared future.

Ten years ago, in face of the profound question raised by the world, by history and by the times of “What has happened to the world and how should we respond?”, President Xi Jinping creatively proposed the establishment of a community with a shared future for mankind, which contributes Chinese solution to appropriately address global challenges, and points the right direction for human society leading to common development, lasting peace and security, and mutual learning between civilizations. Recently, The Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs was held in Beijing successfully. President Xi Jinping attended the conference and delivered an important address, emphasized that building a community with a shared future for mankind is the noble goal pursued by China in conducting major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics for the new era, and called for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

II. What’s the meaning of building a community with a shared future for mankind?

To build a community with a shared future for mankind, all peoples, all countries, and all individuals – our destinies being interconnected – must stand together in adversity and through thick and thin, navigating towards greater harmony on this planet that we call home, turning people’s longing for a better life into reality.

Ten years on, building a community with a shared future for mankind has developed from a Chinese initiative to an international consensus, from a promising vision to substantive actions, and from a conceptual proposition to a scientific system. In summary, in building a community with a shared future for mankind, the goal is to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity, the pathway is promoting global governance that features extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, the guiding principle is to apply the common values of humanity, the basic underpinning lies in building a new type of international relations, the strategic guidance comes from the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and the platform for action is high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. On this basis, we seek to bring countries together to meet challenges and achieve prosperity for all.

In the process of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China integrates its own development into the common development of all countries, closely linking its own future with the future of humanity. China will continue to provide new opportunities for the world with its own new development and inject stronger impetus into and make greater contributions to humanity's peace and development.

To maintain peace and stability, China has actively practiced genuine multilateralism, assumed responsibility for world peace. China has dispatched a total of more than 50,000 United Nations peacekeepers, ranking first among the permanent members of the Security Council, with China's “Blue Helmets” becoming a key force in United Nations peacekeeping mission. To realize universal security, China upholds the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, advocates the resolution of conflicts through negotiation and settlement of disputes through consultation, and supports all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of crises. Recently, China has successfully facilitated the historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran. To promote common prosperity, China has promoted the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, signed cooperation documents with more than 3/4 of the world's countries and more than 30 international organizations. The import and export value of China's trade in goods with the countries along the BRI grows at an average annual rate of 8.6 per cent. BRI has lifted nearly 40 million people out of poverty. To enhance openness and inclusiveness, China has continued to deepen reform and opening-up and has been the world’s biggest trader in goods for six consecutive years. China is now a major trading partner of more than 140 countries and regions, with a huge market and consumption potential providing massive demands for global industrial chains. To protect the environment, China pursues green, low-carbon, circular and sustainable development. China has significantly reduced carbon dioxide emission intensity, and achieved fast development in renewable energy, taking an active part in global climate governance.  

Over the past decade, China has established various forms of a community of shared future with dozens of countries and regions. The Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, have been warmly received and firmly supported by many countries. The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind has been incorporated in resolutions of the United Nations, the UN Security Council and the UN Human Rights Council. This important vision has gained growing understanding and support from the international community, especially developing countries, and translated into tangible results for people across the world.

III. How can China and Fiji work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind?

The founding father of modern Fiji and former President, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara once said that,in a multi-racial society, trust, understanding and tolerance are the cornerstones of peace and order. It shares the same idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind. For China, the largest developing country, and Fiji, an important country among PICs, a shared task of the times is to address development deficit, overcome security dilemma and enhance mutual learning between civilizations.  

Fiji is an important participant in building a China-PICs community with a shared future. Fiji supports the three global initiatives, is a member of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative, and an important partner in Belt and Road cooperation. Looking forward, China is ready to work hands in hands with Fiji to build a community with a shared future for mankind, bringing more benefits to the two peoples.

China and Fiji should become a community with shared development and prosperity. The pursuit of a better life is the common aspiration of people across the world, and the improvement of people’s well-being is the common goal of China and Fiji. China and Fiji have signed memorandums of understanding on Belt and Road Initiative cooperation， and Global Development Initiative implementation. In recent years, economic cooperation between the two countries has yielded fruitful results. The China-Aid Juncao Technology Demonstration Center in Fiji, the China-Fiji Friendship Bridge and Suva Multi-Purpose Sports Arena have become shining brand names of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Fiji. China will continue to align the Belt and Road Initiative with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, and promote fruitful cooperation with Fiji under the Global Development Initiative. We firmly believe that the gains of development should benefit more people across the world in a more equitable way, only when people across the globe live a happy life can the world secure lasting prosperity.

China and Fiji should become a community with shared peace and security. Faced with major changes unseen in a century, China and Fiji are important forces for world peace. China is the top contributor of peacekeeping personnel among the permanent members of the UN Security Council, and it is the second largest funding contributor to UN peacekeeping operations. Fiji is the top contributor to UN peacekeeping operations on a per capita basis. As developing countries and Asia-Pacific countries, China and Fiji have always adhered to the principle of independence, non-interference in internal affairs, and opposed hegemony and power politics. The two countries have worked together to practice true multilateralism, advocate for the peaceful settlement of international disputes, call for actions on global challenges such as climate change and nuclear proliferation, and push for an international order that is more just and equitable. We firmly believe that each and every country should have its place in the global multipolar system and can play its due role. The progress toward a multipolar world should be more equal and orderly.

China and Fiji should become a community with shared openness and inclusiveness. No civilization is superior to others and values should not be used as political tools or weapons of confrontation. China and Fiji are both multi-ethnic countries. We are keenly aware of the importance of respecting the diversity of civilizations and strengthening mutual learning. Living in the same global village, countries should respect each other and coexist in peace. The right way to go is to promote people-to-people ties and jointly achieve the creative development of civilization, instead of seeking one’s own interests at the expense of others or forming exclusive clubs. We firmly believe that one will not be seen in a more favourable light by blowing out others’ lamp; nor will they go farther by blocking others’ paths.

Epilogue

Long as the journey is, we will reach our destination if we stay the course; difficult as the task is, we will get the job done if we keep working at it. As comprehensive strategic partners, China and Fiji should take concrete actions to implement the consensus of respecting each other’s core interests, to bring more development benefits to our peoples, to enhance mutual understanding and bring hearts closer together, to protect the planet that we call home. Let’s let China-Fiji relations be a shining example of countries, big or small, to jointly address global challenges, promote global development, and build a community with a shared future for mankind.