China’s proactive role in international development

The visionary leader President Xi Jinping, who is also Secretary-General of the Chinese Communist Party and Chairman of Military Commission, came into power in 2012; China has been proactive in internationalization development cooperation. His vision of “a community of shared fulture for all humankind” is deeply reflected in his governance, and his effort to eradicate poverty in China has been acknowledged globally. Introducing high-quality reforms and opening-up measures, the Chinese people's economic prosperity is the result of his wise policies and continuation of reforms and opening up.

Photo taken on Nov. 3, 2020 shows the view of the Lujiazui area of Pudong, east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

The U.S. has dominated the world for several decades since World War II, but events that happened in the last couple of years are evident valid proof of the decline. The U.S. has become the worst hit country by COVID-19, with the highest number of infected patients and the highest death toll. The helplessness of the U.S. during the pandemic has revealed the real potential of the country.

The American economy has suffered a lot; its world-wide military bases and wars have increased to the extent where the U.S. economy may not support any more. The U.S. has been withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, Iraq, etc., while also partially withdrawing from NATO (Germany).

The recent unrest in the U.S. Capital, Washington, D.C., has further exposed America. The so-called superpower, democracy, liberal & civilized nations have behaved worse than many Asian or African countries. The overall deterioration of the U.S. has dented too heavily that it might take several decades to revive.

With this scenario, the world is looking for alternate global leadership. At the same time, China follows an ideal world where the Great Way rules for the common good, respects the principles of good neighborliness and harmony in relations with all other countries, and advocates mutual beneficial cooperation, rather than confrontations. Deep-rooted in Chinese culture, these are the firm beliefs that inspire China's development. Upholding the idea that all countries are members of a global village with a shared future, China advocates fairer and more justifiable international relations and steadfastly contributes to global development.

Chinese people sanctuary a sense of justice and a feeling of sympathy. In 1950, just one year after the People's Republic's founding, China did its maximum to support other countries in their national independence movements despite its own difficulties. Over the past seven decades, the Chinese nation has forged onward, moving from poverty and backwardness towards strength and richness. The Chinese people hope that other peoples will also lead a good life while theirs is improving and are willing to contribute as much as they can to other developing countries' efforts to satisfy their people's aspiration for a better life.

China is a creation member of the United Nations and a permanent U.N. Security Council member. It supports the universal values of humanity – peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom – and sticks to a development route that is peaceful, open, cooperative, and inclusive. China considers it a duty to dynamically engage in development cooperation as a responsible international community member, and believes it has a task to contribute more to humanity. The country desires to offer more public goods to the international community and link forces with other countries to build a better common future.

Based on its international development cooperation experience, subsequently since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has formed unique approaches in keeping with the new era while keeping its traditions, as elaborated below.

Promoting a global community of shared future is the mission of China's international development cooperation. Humanity shares a shared stake in development, and world stability and prosperity cannot be achieved unless developing countries can progress. By helping other developing countries reduce poverty and improve their people's lives, China works together with them to narrow the North-South gap, eliminate the deficit in development, establish a new model of international relations based on mutual respect, equity, justice, and win-win cooperation, and and build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.

China possesses the full potential to lead the whole world, and in the days to come, it will be more visible. More and more nations are tilting towards China, with those who cooperate with China benefiting. and those who oppose China may suffer.

The opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to People's Daily Online.

Zamir Ahmed Awan is a non-resident fellow with the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and a sinologist at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan. (E-mail: [email protected])