Africa -China Review Africa -China Cooperation and Transformation
Published: October 20,2023
By Staff writer
Foreign leaders attending the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation applaud at the forum’s opening ceremony in the Great Hall of the People on Wednesday. ZHANG YAO/FOR CHINA DAILY
The recent summit to mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative and the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing is testimony that China’s BRI as a global development initiative is bringing together the world for a common good. World leaders from different parts of the world attended the summit with the hope of strengthening the existing multilateral cooperation framework through BRI.
This summit took place at the time the world is facing economic challenges due to the effects of COVID-19. The wars between Ukraine and Russia and Israel and Palestine present threats to peaceful coexistence likely to spill over to other countries if not resolved through dialogue and political means. The BRI summit in Beijing was a celebration of partnership rather than conflict, benefiting together rather than oppression, it was about shared interests and values rather than domination.
China is a country whose philosophy treats all people equally and believes that the difference in political ideology and civilization should not be a basis for confrontational relationship. Despite the differences, there is need for mutual respect and complementarity rather than building a superiority complex against others.
The proposal by Chinese president Xi Jinping for the Global Development Initiative (GDI) is another testimony that China promotes international cooperation with the intention of bring about inclusivity and ownership of tackling global challenges and development. The eight priorities of GDI namely; poverty alleviation, food security, pandemic response and vaccines, financing for development, climate change and green development, industrialization, digital economy and connectivity in the digital-era, can improve the well-being of the global community if all countries put their efforts together.
The GDI upholds the core principles of staying committed to development as a priority; staying committed to a people-centered approach; staying committed to benefits for all to leave no country and no one behind; staying committed to innovation-driven development; staying committed to harmony between human and nature; and staying committed to results-oriented actions. GDI further aims to support the timely achievement of all United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by revitalizing global development partnership, and promoting stronger, greener and healthier global development.
When countries come together for developmental purposes, the bonding for mutual interests holds them together and peaceful co-existence becomes the dividend. China’s leading role in promoting global development that leaves no one behind should be supported by all peace loving nations. The world can be a better place for improving the quality of life for all humanity and living in peace and harmony between different civilizations.
