Recently, H.E President Xi Jinping attended the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting and proposed the Global Civilisation Initiative, which is another important public product proposed by China to the international community after the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, promoting world modernisation and building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
I. Global Civilisation Initiative – flourishing the garden of world civilisations
Although human beings are different in color and language, there is no distinction between superior and inferior civilisations. Around the world, countries and regions have chosen different paths to modernisation, which are rooted in their unique and long civilizations. Civilisation is the cradle of modernization, and modernisation promotes the development of civilization. From primitive society to agricultural society, from industrial era to information era, all civilisations created by human society are splendid. They are where each country’s modernisation drive draws its strength and where its unique feature comes from. They, transcending time and space, have jointly made important contribution to humanity’s modernisation process. China is one of the four ancient civilisations in the world, and it is the only one that has been passed down without interruption. China is creating a new form of civilisation and exploring a Chinese modernisation path in the new era, which will expand the ways for developing countries to modernisation and provide a new choice for countries that wish to accelerate development while maintaining their independence. Today, when the future and destiny of all countries are closely linked, H.E. President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Civilisation Initiative, advocating respect for the diversity of civilisations, promoting the common values of humanity, attaching importance to inheritance and innovation of civilisations, strengthening international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, and providing basic guidelines and paths for different civilisations to coexist, exchange and learn from each other, which is the natural result of Chinese Civilisation and will surely flourish the garden of world civilisations.
II. Global Security Initiative – safeguarding the peace of global community
Peace is the prerequisite and guarantee for development, and security is a universal concern for all countries. Today, all countries are confronted by multiple risks and challenges rarely seen in history, and human society faces multiple security dilemmas like never before. The world is once again at a historical crossroads. In the face of continued complex changes in the international security situation, H.E. President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Security Initiative last year, and more than 80 countries and regional organisations have expressed their appreciation and support for the Initiative. In February this year, China released the The Global Security Initiative Concept Paper, which expounds the core ideas and principles of the Initiative, identifies the priorities, platforms and mechanisms of cooperation, and demonstrates China’s sense of responsibility for safeguarding world peace and firm resolve to defend global security. China also issued China’s Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis and signed the joint statement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Islamic Republic of Iran, announcing that Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to resume diplomatic relations. This series of documents and practices show that China has continued to make new progress in practicing Global Security Initiative. China will continue to adhere to the principles of mutual respect, openness and inclusion, multilateralism, mutual benefit and win-win, a holistic approach, and uphold the UN’s central role in security governance, promote coordination and sound interactions among major countries, facilitate peaceful settlement of hotspot issues through dialogue, tackle traditional and non-traditional security challenges, strengthen the system and capacity for global security governance, and work with all peoples around the world to safeguard the peace of global community.
III. Global Development Initiative – creating a new era of prosperity and development
Development is an eternal topic in the process of human modernisation. At the UN Sustainable Development Summit 2015, world leaders unanimously adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, opening a new era of international development cooperation. However, under the influence of pandemic, regional conflicts, and great power game, development is facing serious challenges. In 2021, H.E. President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative at the General Debate of the 76th Session of The UN General Assembly, upholding the concepts of development as a priority, people-centered, benefits for all, innovation-driven, harmony between man and nature, and results-oriented actions, so as to promote the implementation of UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In June 2022, H.E. President Xi Jinping chaired the High-level Dialogue on Global Development, which strengthened the broad consensus on global development. At present, more than 100 countries and international organisations have supported the Global Development Initiative and nearly 70 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative. China, together with its international partners, has built a cooperation platform and increased investment in the implementation of the initiative through the establishment of the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund and so on to address challenges such as pandemics, hunger and poverty. China will continue to communicate and coordinate with the countries in the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative, adhere to the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and continue to enrich the project pool of Global Development Initiative. We will promote initiatives such as the Food Production Enhancement Action and the Global Clean Energy Cooperation Partnership to deepen global development partnership, implement UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, share development opportunities and create global prosperity.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of H.E. President Xi Jinping’s proposal of building a community with a shared future for mankind. The three Global Initiatives of Civilisation, Security and Development reflect China’s firm determination to build a community with a shared future for mankind. China and The Gambia are like-minded friends and partners and we have common interest to implement these three initiatives. The Gambia was one of the first members of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative. It is believed that China and The Gambia will jointly uphold the spirit of these three initiatives, continue to promote the bilateral relations, and make greater efforts for the peaceful development of mankind in the new era.
