Book Review by Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director, Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future, Communication University of China (CUC), Beijing, China
Pursuing a path of peaceful development is a choice made by the Communist Party of China (CPC). The core of the party, i.e., President Xi Jinping, has the right appraisal about the evolving socioeconomic dynamics of the world. Thus, he has introduced grand narratives of development, broader alignments, and cooperation to achieve future aspirations. China has been blessed with this visionary statesman.
The book under review is one of the few books that presents a future roadmap and grand ideas of global cooperation and integration by President of China, His Excellency Xi Jinping. This book is a collection of translations of 85 articles and speeches written by President Xi since 2012. The book was compiled and published by ‘The Institute of Party History and Literature of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China’ in March 2019. The book aims to help readers gain a clearer understanding of President Xi's thinking on building a human community with a shared future.
The basic motivation behind the book and China’s progress has been guided by Deng Xiaoping Theory, the ‘Theory of Three Represents,' and ‘the Scientific Outlook on Development.’’ The leadership pursues strengthening strategic thinking, increasing strategic resolve, and better balancing domestic and international imperatives. The key characteristics reflected by a profound analysis of the book are as follows:
Ø To promote development that is open, cooperative, and beneficial to everyone.
Ø Pursuing China's development by working for a peaceful international environment.
Ø Protecting and promoting world peace by using China’s development model.
It is clear that if a nation is resilient and strong from inside, it will automatically present a great model of development and set an exceptional precedent for others. This can be witnessed by taking the Chinese nation as a case study. The country has been enhancing its composite national strength, enabling people to enjoy the benefits that peaceful development brings, and keep tamping the material and social foundations of the path to peaceful development. The Chinese nation is a peace-loving nation.
Taking a peaceful development path is consistent with and builds on the Chinese nation's fine traditional culture. China cherishes peace and stability within and outside the country. What Chinese people fear is turbulence, what they seek is stability, and what they hope for is world peace. The country under the prudent leadership is moving towards greater prosperity and a brighter future.
Different narrative in the book (on different time and years) attempts to depict positive future goals and China’s efforts to assist countries/vulnerable communities and enhance cooperation/communication in diverse fields across the regions. In this era, major developments have been occurring due to China’s Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), and regional connectivity. Thus, under these transformations, the vision of building a community with a shared future holds much relevance to eradicate differences and move towards dialogue among civilizations.
Thought on Diplomacy:
China is fully implementing the thought on diplomacy for new-era of ‘Socialism with Chinese Characteristics’, and continues working to create favorable external conditions for realizing the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation and promoting the building of a human community with a shared future. To understand the international situation, China has a correct view of history and its role. Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the pioneer of China’s Democratic Revolution, once stated, The tide of history is mighty. Follow it and prosper; resist it and perish. Looking back on the history of the world, we can see that all those who engaged in acts of aggression or sought expansion, in the end, met with failure. This is the law of history. A prosperous and stable world provides China with opportunities, and sustainable development offers opportunities for the world.
In a nutshell, the book is indeed a masterpiece because it holds a number of key articles and speeches by President Xi, which can be considered a direction for acquiring future targets. At present, China is in its best period of development in modern times, while the world is undergoing the most profound and unprecedented changes in a century. These two realities are intertwined and mutually influential. There are, therefore, many favorable external conditions for successfully carrying out diplomatic work both at present and in the period ahead, along with the vision of building a community with shared future. To establish a global vision to better achieve set targets is crucial to tackling common challenges with a shared approach.
Edited by the Institute for a Community with Shared Future, CUC
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