Han Jing
Flying the flag of “America First,” the United States, the largest beneficiary of economic globalization, seems bent on sailing against the trend of the times toward its imagined destination of “making America great again.”
As it stirs up trade disputes, withdraws from international organizations and treaties, and rebuffs interdependence, the sole superpower in the world has become a lone wolf with unilateralism and protectionism as its credo.
That has put the global village on edge, particularly as the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century with raging conflicts, unbalanced growth, climate threats, trust shortages and governance deficits.
Against such a challenging backdrop, more and more people around the world are looking to the East for answers, and many have found inspiration and hope in the impressive peaceful development of the world’s largest developing country.
China’s transformation over recent decades is born of not only the hard work of its people, but also its devotion to openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation.
With consistent adherence to the opening-up policy and active integration into the global economy, China has grown into the biggest exporter and second biggest importer in the world.
Legendary US investor Warren Buffett said he wishes for a follow-on investment in China as he felt sure the country will “grow a lot over time.” China has boomed, and it wishes the best to others, too. It understands the interdependence and interactivity within the global village, and always stands ready to share opportunities and achieve common development with others.
The China International Import Expo held last year drew over 400,000 participants from across the world. The number of new foreign-invested companies in China increased by nearly 70 percent in 2018 year on year. China also passed the Foreign Investment Law in March to further improve the protection of foreign investors.
Global governance
The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by Beijing to improve regional cooperation and transcontinental interconnectivity, has boosted infrastructure construction and green development as well as cultural exchanges along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the BRI meets the interests of the majority. Takehiko Nakao, president of the Asian Development Bank, said his institution prefers more engagement in the BRI, which is in line with the ADB’s principles.
Also in its blood is China’s commitment to improving global governance. Safeguarding multilateralism, helping solve regional conflicts through dialogue, and taking the lead in addressing global issues like climate change, China has played a responsible and constructive role in international affairs.
With the world standing at a crossroads, China has been advocating such inspirational ideas as “harmony without uniformity,” and calling for concerted effort to build a community with a shared future for mankind. It believes that the interests to be considered should be the interests of all.
As China takes active roles as a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of the international order, its endeavors have won support worldwide.
Germany’s Commerzbank found that the country’s small and medium-sized enterprises view China as more credible than the United States and Britain. A Chilean poll showed over 75 percent of Chileans feel positive about China.
“Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors,” Confucius said. China upholds multilateralism and seeks common prosperity, and therefore will never be alone on its way. An unjust cause has few supporters, and a zero-sum mentality enjoys little backing. The handful of confrontation-stoking hawks in Washington are shedding their country’s popularity. Given the alarming uncertainty in today’s world, it is high time that Washington stopped throwing its weight around at will and returned to the right course with the rest of the world. One cannot go far without company. -Courtesy Shine.cn