Sponsored by the China National Association of International Studies (CNAIS), the symposium, titled “BRICS Cooperation and Construction of the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative,” was held at Huaqiao University in Xiamen, Southeast China’s Fujian Province, on Oct. 27.

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At a seminar held on the heels of the 19th CPC National Congress, scholars concurred that aspects of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, such as the “community of common destiny for mankind” and the “‘Belt and Road’ initiative,” will offer solutions to global challenges in the new era.

Sponsored by the China National Association of International Studies (CNAIS), the seminar, titled “BRICS Cooperation and Construction of the ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative,” was held at Huaqiao University in Xiamen, Southeast China’s Fujian Province, on Oct. 27. It was co-organized by the College of International Relations at Huaqiao University, and the Fujian Base for Theoretical Studies of Overseas Chinese Affairs under the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council.

The report to the 19th Party congress highlighted “building a community with a shared future for mankind,” and it was added to the 14 basic strategies for adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Huang Zheng, deputy director-general of the Policy Planning Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the concept of a community of common destiny not only embodies the emphasis on harmony inherited from traditional Chinese philosophy but also offers solutions to current global challenges.

“As the banner, direction and goal of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era, the idea of ‘a community with a shared future for mankind’ provides answers to where human society should head and reflects the common expectations of the international community,” Huang said.

Feng Jicheng, an associate professor from the Department of English and International Studies at China Foreign Affairs University, pointed out that the innovative major-country diplomatic paradigm will greatly affect the course of reform to the international order.

During modern times, the United Kingdom maintained the global balance of power, but after World War II, the dominant United States established an order of mixed power, Feng said, adding that the China-proposed innovative “community with a shared future for mankind” is an order based on a new model of international relations that will enable the global order to evolve into a new pattern.
In the 21st century, when sovereign states are the major international actors, constructing a community of common destiny entails properly handling international relations. Constructing new paradigms for international relations is a basic means to that end. On the basis of mutually beneficial cooperation, the report to the 19th CPC National Congress has added mutual respect, fairness and justice to the connotations of new types of international relations.

The widely supported “B&R” initiative is a fine example of the new types of international relations China advocates. Feng Shaolei, a professor from the School of Advanced International and Area Studies at East China Normal University, said that the Chinese path embodied by the inclusive and cooperative initiative is a pragmatic way for the world to overcome crises and establish a new order for the future.

From the perspective of building an East Asian security community, Zhang Qianming, deputy director of the Institute of International Politics at Zhejiang University, shed light on the implications of the “B&R” initiative for constructing new models of international relations.

Zhang noted the international security community had two models in the past: the European Union model based on legal and rational norms, and the ASEAN model grounded in social and cultural norms.
The “B&R” initiative presents a third model for building a security community: advancing security through economic development, Zhang said. The initiative promotes common regional growth and prosperity based on the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration, which will be conducive to cultivating mutual political trust.

As the backlash against globalization continues to gain ground, rebalancing economic globalization is becoming an increasingly crucial aspect of improving global economic governance, said Lin Hongyu, dean of the College of International Relations at Huaqiao University.

The world economic cycle and the attitude of major countries are two key factors influencing economic globalization, Lin said. History has proven if the global economy is open and major countries positive, economic globalization will be smooth.

Noting that the world economy is closed, Lin stressed that the attitude major countries adopt is essential, adding that China’s adamant support will inject strong positive energy into the healthy development of economic globalization. 

 

 MAO LI is a reporter at the Chinese Social Sciences Today.