by: Mr. Ovais Ali Khokhar, Chairman, Board of Experts, Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future (PRCCSF), Islamabad.
On September 26, 2023, China’s State Council published a white paper titled “A Global Community for Shared Future: China’s Proposals and Actions.” This comprehensive document, consisting of a preface, five chapters, and a conclusion, serves to provide context for China’s introduction of the concept of a global community of shared future. This concept is seen as a response to the unprecedented global challenges and changes occurring in the 21st century.
The white paper seeks to elucidate the theoretical foundation, practical applications, and the evolution of this concept, with the aim of enhancing comprehension and building consensus in the international community. It underscores the importance of addressing contemporary global challenges, advocating unity, cooperation, and the necessity for a new approach to international relations.
One of the noteworthy aspects discussed in the white paper is the Belt and Road Initiative, launched in 2013, which has garnered international acceptance as both a public good and a collaborative platform. This initiative is presented as a means to tackle the current global challenges and embrace the opportunities of new era by emphasizing the importance of collective action and cooperation in international affairs.
Highlighting Global Challenges and Need for Cooperation: The White Paper opposes the prevailing zero-sum mentality and hegemonic ideologies, while promoting fairness, justice, and collaboration as essential elements for the well-being and success of all nations.
The White paper underscores that the world stands at a crossroads, faced with choices between unity and division, cooperation, and embracing openness versus isolation. Despite the various revolutions in human history, the fundamental truth remains that Earth is our singular home, emphasizing the shared responsibility for the planet’s safety and the future of humanity.
Throughout history, humanity has pursued peace and development as its primary objectives. The concept of a global community has gained prominence with the rise of globalization and increased interconnectedness. The world is currently undergoing significant transformations, leading to a multitude of challenges, as highlighted in the White Paper.
In this contemporary era marked by deficits in peace, development, security, and governance, the White Paper underscores the necessity for global cooperation in the face of worldwide crises and difficulties. Building a global community of shared future is presented as the solution to address global issues and work collectively toward a brighter future. It calls for fresh, forward-thinking approaches to international relations to better accommodate the rapidly changing world and promote positive developments.
Vision and Proposals: Humanity faces a critical decision point, having to choose between reverting to a Cold War-style mentality of division or working together for the collective welfare of humanity through cooperation, openness, and equality, as outlined in the White Paper. The outcome of this decision will profoundly shape the future of both humanity and the planet.
The concept of Building a Global Community of Shared Future encourages countries with diverse social systems, ideologies, histories, cultures, and developmental levels to unite in pursuing common interests, rights, and global responsibilities.
A New Approach to International Relations: acknowledges the challenges to the current international order, with some nations resorting to coercive tactics and zero-sum competition. China’s response is to champion the creation of a global community of shared future, emphasizing cooperation, mutual benefit, and collective responsibilities. This approach is grounded in a thoughtful framework for state-to-state relations and underscores China’s commitment as a responsible major nation.
The New Features of Global Governance: advocate for principles like openness, inclusivity, equity, justice, harmonious coexistence, diversity, mutual learning, and unity. It rejects the dominance of any single country, prioritizes the application of international law, and promotes cooperative and shared security. The importance of mutual respect and cultural exchange is highlighted, along with an emphasis on green, low-carbon, and sustainable development.
The New Vision for a Better World: articulated by China aims to create a world characterized by lasting peace through dialogue and consultation, shared security for all through collaborative efforts, mutual prosperity through win-win cooperation, an open and inclusive world through cultural exchanges and mutual learning, and a clean and beautiful world through environmentally sustainable development. This vision is designed to foster a more just, equitable, and harmonious global order that benefits all nations.
Wisdom and Traditions: Traditional Chinese culture places a strong emphasis on the fundamental concept of harmony, valuing the coexistence of diverse elements and cultural richness, as highlighted in the White Paper. Chinese culture promotes the idea that all nations are part of a unified community, advocating for brotherhood and peace among all, and upholding principles of fairness, justice, and equity.
It cherishes universal benevolence, prioritizing respect for others and the pursuit of mutual interests with friendship as a primary consideration. Chinese culture also reveres the natural order, showing deep respect for the laws of the universe and seeking harmony between humanity and nature.
The Global Vision of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is centered on the aspiration to establish a global community of shared future as an integral component of China’s modernization, thereby connecting China’s future with that of all humanity. China’s modernization journey offers valuable insights for other developing nations and presents sustainable opportunities for worldwide collaboration.
China has been at the forefront of diplomatic initiatives that promote peace, development, and global harmony, achieving significant diplomatic progress across the globe. This has been made possible through China’s adoption of a comprehensive, multi-level, and multifaceted diplomatic strategy, marked by the introduction of forward-looking global initiatives and innovative approaches to global governance.
The concept of a global community of shared future draws inspiration from narratives across diverse cultures, underlining the importance of unity, cooperation, and a shared destiny in the pursuit of a better world. The text underscores universally acknowledged norms of international relations, placing strong emphasis on principles like equity, sovereignty, and humanitarianism as essential foundations for building a global community of shared future.
Directions and Planning: The direction and strategy outlined by China recognize the advantages of economic globalization, particularly in terms of facilitating trade, investment, and technological advancement. However, it offers criticism of the existing model, contending that it does not adequately represent the interests of developing nations. Instead, it calls for a more open, inclusive, and balanced approach to economic globalization. China firmly opposes protectionist measures, unilateral actions, and the severing of international economic connections, emphasizing the importance of global economic interconnectedness.
The White Paper underscores China’s unwavering commitment to peaceful development and the establishment of new international relations rooted in principles such as mutual respect, equity, justice, and mutually beneficial cooperation. It underscores the importance of upholding the principles enshrined in the UN Charter and advocates for reforms in the global governance system to enhance its inclusivity.
China actively promotes universal human values, including peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom. It also advocates for the recognition of diverse interpretations of these values across different cultures and encourages mutual learning and exchange among civilizations.
Contributions and Actions: China introduced the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with the aim of promoting sustainable development and enhancing the quality of life through cooperative efforts that are open, environmentally friendly, high in standards, and not aligned with geopolitical or military alliances.
The BRI has garnered support from a significant number of countries and international organizations. By July 2023, over three-quarters of countries worldwide and more than 30 international organizations had signed cooperation agreements related to the Belt and Road.
The BRI, which originated in China, is considered a global endeavor where the opportunities and achievements generated are intended for the benefit of the entire world. It emphasizes economic cooperation and does not exclude or target any specific party.
Several notable BRI projects have demonstrated their positive impact, such as the China-Laos Railway, which commenced operations in December 2021, bringing substantial economic development and employment opportunities to the region.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has significantly contributed to Pakistan’s economic and social progress, while the China-Laos Railway has transformed Laos from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub. The Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway has set a speed record in Southeast Asia, and the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway has substantially boosted local economic growth. Chinese-assisted projects like the construction of wells in Malawi and the China-Europe Railway Express have furthered cooperation and connectivity.
China has put forth initiatives like the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative to address fundamental human society goals, including development, security, and cultural enrichment. These initiatives aim to foster peace, development, and cultural exchange on a global scale.
China has also initiated various regional and bilateral communities of shared future, including the China-Africa and China-ASEAN communities of shared future. These aim to enhance cooperation, mutual trust, and common progress among developing nations.
China actively engages in global efforts to tackle challenges spanning health, climate change, cybersecurity, and nuclear security. Its role in international anti-pandemic cooperation, advocacy for a community of shared future in cyberspace, and support for peaceful resolution of territorial disputes have been significant. In addressing the Ukraine crisis, China has worked to promote peace and offered key principles, recommended actions for the international community, and shared its position on a political settlement.
China played a pivotal role in mediating historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, demonstrating the potential for dialogue and consultation to resolve disputes and foster positive neighborly relations in the Middle East.
China is dedicated to addressing climate change by setting ambitious emission targets, and it actively participates in global environmental governance while supporting green and low-carbon energy development in developing countries. China’s call to all nations is to embrace the concept of a shared future, encouraging communication, consultation, shared governance responsibilities, and concerted actions to create a better future for humanity.
Conclusion: This White Paper emphasizes the importance of adapting good principles to changing times and highlights the global consensus behind the concept of a global community of shared future. It stresses that building such a community is a challenging but worthwhile endeavor, requiring confidence, determination, a broad mindset, global vision, and a sense of responsibility.
The White Paper calls for unity, cooperation, and concrete actions from all countries to work together in harmony to address common challenges. Despite the challenges and setbacks, the passage expresses optimism about the future, where collective efforts can lead to a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous world for all of humanity.
