Building A Community with A Shared Future for Mankind：Measures and Implications

Ruan Zongze

The COVID-19 pandemic is sweeping the globe， constituting a major test to building a community with a shared future for mankind. With the “two overall situations” in mind， China actively advocates the building of a global community of health for all and vigorously promotes the solidarity of the international community against the pandemic， playing a role of stabilizing anchor in the changing situation. Focusing on the post-pandemic era， China has embarked on a new journey of building a socialist modern country in an all-round way， and will “firmly support multilateralism， safeguard the international system with the United Nations as the core and the international order based on international law， firmly safeguard the multilateral trading system， firmly promote the development of the global governance system， and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.” With these efforts， China has won wide recognition of the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind by the international community， enhanced the driving force for countries to join hands to overcome difficulties， and expanded the prospects for win-win cooperation. The great change unseen in a century will serve as a major opportunity for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Major Significance of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind against the Backdrop of Great Change

Building a community with a shared future for mankind is a scientific theory system with rich connotations. The COVID-19 pandemic poses a major test to the idea of the community with a shared future for mankind. China works together with the international community in combating the pandemic and restoring the economy， which has demonstrated the importance and necessity of the concept of the community with a shared future for mankind as well as its great significance to the innovation and development of global governance concept.

I. COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance and necessity of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

The idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind put forward by China has aroused heated discussions among all parties. The spreading of COVID-19 pandemic throughout the world has hitherto posed an unprecedented practical test to the idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind. At this critical moment， President Xi Jinping has played the role and takes the responsibility as a major country leader by actively advocating building the global community of health for all， which has pointed out the right direction and pulled strength for the international cooperation to combat the pandemic. President Xi Jinping pointed out that “Mankind is a community with a shared future. Solidarity and cooperation is our most powerful weapon for defeating the virus. This is the key lesson the world has learned from fighting HIV/AIDS， Ebola， avian influenza， influenza A （H1N1） and other major epidemics. And solidarity and cooperation is a sure way through which we， the people of the world， can defeat this novel coronavirus.” The profound， comprehensive and systematical exposition of the concept of the community of a shared future for mankind by President Xi has significantly enhanced the confidence and determination of the international community to fight the pandemic in solidarity.

In short， due to the pandemic situation， people are deeply aware that human beings live in a global village， that the destinies of all countries are linked， that major infectious diseases are the common enemies of all mankind， and that building a community with a shared future for mankind is the right way for the world people. Chinas plan to fight the pandemic has become a widely resonant topic.

As negative examples， some countries engage in unilateralism， which fully shows their selfishness and egoism. By politicizing and stigmatizing the COVID-19 situation， trying every means to scapegoat other countries and international organizations， and creating “political virus”， they have seriously damaged the anti-pandemic efforts of the international community. Though with advanced medical facilities and technology， the United States fell into chaotic situation in dealing with COVID-19. It is now the worlds worst affected area， resulting in a shocking humanitarian disaster.

II. China works hard to promote the development of global governance system to a more just and reasonable direction.

With rampant pandemic situation， the international situation is changing rapidly， and global challenges emerge one after another. The international community is in urgent need to solve the “four deficits”. The great change has provided new opportunities for China to participate in global governance. China actively participates in global governance and provides public goods， and actively advocates promoting global governance based on the principle of wide consultation， joint contribution and shared benefits. As a participant， a builder and a contributor of the current international system， China has always advocated the international order and system with the United Nations at its core and based on the purposes and principles of its charter. In recent years， China has put forward the building of new-type international relations， the building of a community with a shared future for mankind， the Belt and Road， the founding of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and other new initiatives， all serving as new and important supplements to the existing international institutions and contribute to the promotion of a fairer and more reasonable international order. Since the 2008 financial crisis， China has been a leading engine for driving the recovery and growth of the world economy as well as an important force in global economic governance. With the rapid economic development and the continuous ascending of its international status， China has increasingly contributed new solutions and built new platforms， changing from a participant in global governance to a leader.

At present， the imbalanced world development， the unfair power distribution in international system， and in particular the seriously inadequate institutional power and representation of developing countries in international system are hindering their participation in global governance in an extensive and in-depth way. The principle of wide consultation， joint contribution and shared benefits advocated by China is conducive to mobilizing the enthusiasm of the developing countries， so as to enhance their voice and expand their development space.

III. Global ecological environment governance should be enhanced under the guidance of new development concept.

The community with a shared future for mankind has a rich content with the concept of sustainable development as a key component， which refers to building a clean and beautiful world. This concept is also reflected in the new development concept with innovation， coordination， green， openness and sharing as the core， among which， the green development involves how to properly handle the relationship between man and nature. This concept conforms to the requirements of the times， helps to solve the development problems and enhances the development momentum. The global pandemic made people pay more attention to the relationship between human being and nature as a community of life. In fact， human beings have been fighting against different forms of pandemic outbreaks， and the current one is neither the first nor the last. In the post-pandemic era， the above ideas are of more pertinence and guiding significance.

China integrates its response to global climate change into the eco-civilization system and promotes the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. President Xi Jinpings speech at the Leaders Summit on Climate pointed out the direction for strengthening the global ecological environment governance in the post-pandemic era. According to President Xi， “The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has added difficulty to economic and social development across countries. Faced with unprecedented challenges in global environmental governance， the international community needs to come up with unprecedented ambition and action. We need to act with a sense of responsibility and unity， and work together to foster a community of life for man and nature.” This is an important thought obtained from summing up the experience of combating COVID-19， which is in line with Chinas new development stage， new development concept and new development pattern. Under the guidance of Xi Jinpings thought on eco-civilization， China promotes green development and the harmonious co-existence between man and nature， the essence of which is the new development concept of innovation， coordination， green， openness and sharing. China is committed to reaching the carbon emission peak by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. This shows that as the worlds largest developing country， China will achieve the biggest reduction of carbon emission in the world as well as carbon neutralization from emission peak in the shortest time. It takes 50 to 60 years for developed countries to achieve carbon neutrality from emission peak while China will only spend as short as 30 years. This is not an easy task， and it needs to carry out a broad and profound economic and social systematic reform. The Chinese side has incorporated carbon emission peaking and carbon neutrality into the overall layout of eco-civilization progress， and will fulfill our commitments with forceful efforts and tangible results.

China has always maintained the continuity of its policies on climate change by integrating knowledge with practice and eliminating interference. When the Trump administration of the United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement on climate change， China maintained its position and has worked together with the international community to steadfastly defend the Agreement. Since the Biden regime returned to the Agreement， China has as always played a constructive role in dealing with climate change. In April 2021， senior officials of China and the United States in charge of climate change affairs held a dialogue in Shanghai and issued a statement， which pointed out： “China and the United States are committed to cooperating with each other and working with other countries to tackle the climate crisis， which must be addressed with the seriousness and urgency that it demands.” China and the US strengthening cooperation on climate change is of great significance to global climate governance.

The Belt and Road： an Important Platform for Practicing the Building of a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind

The Belt and Road Initiative has provided a platform for practices of building a community with a shared future for mankind. The cooperation projects under the Belt and Road framework have achieved fruitful results and been widely appraised by the international community.

I. Working together for high-quality Belt and Road will provide an even larger platform for cooperation on the community with a shared future for mankind.

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC， China has made earnest efforts to promote the development of a new type of international relations with win-win cooperation as the core as well as the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. The Belt and Road Initiative and the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind have been written into the United Nations documents. Chinas plan has been translated into international consensus. As one of the most popular international public products， the Belt and Road initiated by China is widely recognized by the international community and has allowed China to make more and more friends. The Belt and Road is not only conducive to offsetting the imbalance in the development of global infrastructure， but also helpful to foster awareness of win-win cooperation in regions related. With more remarkable significance under the impact of COVID-19， to strengthen the Belt and Road cooperation allows China to share its opportunities with the rest of the world， and vice versa. China has signed 205 Belt and Road Cooperation documents with 171 countries and international organizations as of January 30， 2021. People along the Belt and Road are benefiting from the dividends generated from the cooperation， such as poverty reduction and development promotion. China has built 24 agricultural technology demonstration centers in Africa， benefiting more than 50 thousand local people. According to the World Bank report， the Belt and Road transport infrastructure project is expected to help lift 7.6 million people out of extreme poverty and 32 million people out of moderate poverty. In recent years， the Belt and Road international cooperation has significantly enhanced the ability of countries concerned to cope with the crisis and challenges. It follows that the Belt and Road international cooperation has become an important support for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

II. Belt and Road international cooperation has become a highlight of world economic growth.

The global political and economic landscape is undergoing reshaping due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Belt and Road is of particular significance of resilience against the backdrop of the severe recession of the world economy in 2020. The spreading of the COVID-19 pandemic over the world has seriously affected all the five sorts of connectivity of the Belt and Road. As a result， many countries have suffered from pressure on public health infrastructure， shortage of medical supplies and economic downturn. However， the Belt and Road is still an important sector of the present as well as the future world's economic growth. Some important cooperation projects have not been affected， such as the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway， which is still under construction as scheduled. China has worked together with relevant countries to overcome difficulties since 2020， and has made new progress and achievements in building the Belt and Road. Nowadays， as a key trade partner for countries along the Belt and Road and with vigorous economic growth， China will surely play its due role in stimulating the economic cooperation and trade with its trade partners， thus promoting the global economic recovery in the post-pandemic era. The Belt and Road cooperation serves as an important link among countries around the world during the pandemic， conveying warmth and confidence. With larger demand in the future， sectors such as e-commerce， 5G， health care and public health infrastructure will gain even bigger development space in Belt and Road.

III. Development of the China-Europe Railway Express against the trend makes valuable contribution to international anti-pandemic struggle and economic recovery.

A large number of anti-pandemic materials have been transported by the China-Europe Railway Express to the countries along the Belt and Road amid the rampant pandemic， helping them to fight the pandemic and resume work and production， ensuring the stability of the industrial， supply and value chain， and becoming a new force for the international community to combat the pandemic and restore the economy. In 2020， the China-Europe Railway Express made 12，400 trips， an increase of 50% over the previous year， and carried 1.135 million TEUs in cargo， growing 56% year-on-year. The destinations of these trips were 92 cities in 21 countries， up 37% from the previous year. As of March 25th in 2021， the China-Europe Railway Express has run 3，072 trains this year， with a year-on-year increase of 82%. The China-Europe Railway Express is opening up a new channel along the Silk Road for the open economy of the inland western region of China. Since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020， under the situation of blocked shipping and air transportation， the China-Europe Railway Express， known as the “steel camel team”， has been operating in an orderly manner， playing an important role of the “artery” in global industrial chain as well as the “lifeline” of COVID-19 prevention and control. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19， the China-Europe Railway Express has delivered more than 7 million pieces of pandemic prevention materials to European countries， effectively meeting the needs of people along the way and saving countless lives. Thanks to the support of the China-Europe Railway Express， the total volume of China-EU trade kept growing in 2020， and China became the largest trading partner of the EU. Looking into the future， the China-Europe Railway Express faces with two major opportunities. First， in the new era， China has accelerated the setup of new international land and sea trade channels and made solid progress in formulating cooperation plans. Against this backdrop， the China-Europe Railway Express will further promote international connectivity under the pattern of “double-cycle development”. Second， the reliability and stability of the China-Europe Railway Express are more attractive. As one of the worlds busiest waterways， the Suez Canal suffered blockage recently， which has exposed the risk of international trade and transportation and made people pay more attention to the China-Europe Railway Express. In short， the Belt and Road has as well stood the test of the pandemic， showing its high resilience and vitality， and has effectively expanded the shared benefits of China and other countries.

Modernization with Chinese Characteristics Boosting the Development of the Community with a Shared Future for Mankind

Looking ahead， China has embarked on a new journey of building a socialist modern country in an all-round way. Based on the new development stage， China implements the new development concept， sets up a new development pattern， and leads the reform of global governance system， which will inject new momentum and write a new chapter in promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

I. Building a new development pattern pushes forward the in-depth and tangible development of the community with a shared future for mankind.

China not only actively advocates but also firmly practices the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. As a major country that takes the lead in getting rid of the haze of COVID-19 and restoring economic growth， China has embarked on a new journey of building a socialist modern country in an all-round way， attracting the worlds attention. Standing at a new historical starting point， China bases itself on the new development stage， implements the new development concept， sets up a new development pattern， and strives for high-quality development， which is beneficial to both China and the world. As the maintainer， builder and contributor of the current international order， China has further enhanced its international status and expanded its development space， further promoted the evolution of the international system in a more just and reasonable direction， and opened up a new atmosphere for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Making a joint effort in building the high-quality Belt and Road will push forward the global governance system reform and make it more universally beneficial in the post-pandemic era. Jointly building a high-quality Belt and Road has been written as an important content in both Chinas “14th Five-Year Plan” and the 2035 Vision， providing the world with new opportunities. In the face of multiple risks brought about by protectionism， anti-globalization and populism， China has pushed forward bravely in promoting global governance and regional integration， which has boosted the confidence of the international community.

II. Modernization with Chinese characteristics will contribute to important progress in building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Building a community with a shared future for mankind contains the progressive significance of transcending history and winning the future. China has entered a new stage of development of building a socialist modern country in an all-round way. China will basically achieve modernization by 2035， and become a strong socialist modern country by 2050. That is the overall target of both the Communist Party of China and the state. While the entire world is making efforts to get out of the most serious economic recession since the end of World War II， it is of particular importance to seize the opportunity to expand green investment and promote economic transformation. Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Mme. Georgieva said recently that Chinas robust economic recovery is bringing positive spillover effects to the rest of the world. She urged all countries to seize the opportunity to cope with the risks of COVID-19 and climate change， increase green investment and multilateral cooperation， and promote the green and inclusive recovery of global economy. China can play an important role in this process.

The modernization that China will achieve is one with a huge population， one of common prosperity for all the people， one with coordinated material and cultural civilization， one of harmonious coexistence between man and nature， and one on the road of peaceful development. This fully demonstrates that the modernization with Chinese characteristics will be achieved by peaceful means， which is essentially different from the modernization of Western powers through war and plunder. So far， the total population in countries and regions that have achieved modernization is less than one billion. The achievement of modernization by Chinas entire population of 1.4 billion will completely rewrite the world map of modernization. The success of modernization with Chinese characteristics has broken the myth of “modernization is Westernization”， which will be of great demonstration significance for the vast number of developing countries and enhance their confidence and motivation in exploring modernization in line with their own development path. Therefore， the world will be a more prosperous， a more progressive and an even better one.

Ruan Zongze is Deputy Director of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy Research Center， Executive Vice-President and Senior Fellow of China Institute of International Studies