President Xi Jinping will meet with foreign guests attending the China International Friendship Conference and the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in Beijing on Friday. Huang Jingwen/Xinhua News Agency
President Xi Jinping on Friday laid out a convincing vision for China to strengthen friendships and exchanges with people from various countries, and emphasized the power of people-to-people diplomacy in jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind.
In front of about 200 foreign dignitaries at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, President Xi said that people-to-people friendship is the basis of stable and long-term relations between nations, and also promotes world peace and development. He emphasized that it is an inexhaustible driving force for the future.
“The relationship between nations lies in the affinity between peoples. This is a principle that I have always supported,” he said while attending events commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the China International Friendship Conference and the People’s Association of China. He spoke to important people. Friendship with foreign countries.
President Xi praised the foreign guests’ contributions over the years to promoting friendly relations with China, and said the achievements of the People’s Republic of China over the past 75 years are inseparable from support from around the world.
As the world stands at a critical crossroads where the fate of humanity becomes increasingly intertwined, he emphasized that building a community with a shared future for humanity is the way forward.
The President advocated a three-pronged approach to strengthening people-to-people connections.
He said it was important to embrace the spirit of working together for the common good on the same planet and to build broad consensus on building a community with a common future for humanity.
President Xi emphasized the importance of upholding the common values of humanity of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom, and advocating for an equal and orderly multipolar world and an inclusive and fair economic globalization. Re-emphasizing gender.
He said the planet shared by humanity should evolve into a peaceful, harmonious and cohesive global family.
The President called for building strong momentum to promote the building of a community with a shared future through the idea of “win-win cooperation.”
He stressed that China will not pursue modernization in isolation and welcomes more international friends to actively participate in China’s modernization process.
President Xi stressed that the Chinese government is ready to “paint a grand picture of promoting a community with a shared future for mankind” with an open and inclusive mindset.
He called for joint efforts to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, deepen understanding, deepen friendships, bridge the gap between civilizations through exchanges, and overcome conflicts through mutual learning between civilizations.
The President concluded his speech by reaffirming his support for the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries to play a unique role in promoting people-to-people friendship and strengthening practical cooperation worldwide.
Nigeria’s former president Olusegun Obasanjo told the gathering that President Xi’s advocacy of building a community with a shared future for mankind “reflects China’s visionary approach to global governance and supports the nation’s proactive approach to international affairs.” It shows great responsibility and commitment.”
He expressed his deep gratitude to President Xi for his firm support for global cooperation and multilateralism. “Your leadership not only laid a solid foundation for China’s continued rise and development, but also provided a great impetus to world peace and stability.”
Former Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Ante Simonić expressed particular appreciation for China’s position that all countries, large and small, are equal members of the international community.
“We gather here today with a common determination to make the world better than it is, to create a world based on mutual benefit, win-win (cooperation) and friendship,” he said in an interview. .
Erin McInnis, an American cultural expert who has worked and lived in China for 30 years, told China Daily that she fully agrees with President Xi’s proposal to build a community with a shared future for humanity.
“I think it’s about creating a community where people share something. That’s what gives us a future. Without that, we wouldn’t have a future. … We’re good We need to learn how to be friends and share,” she said. .
Tony Joseph, vice chairman of the Muscatine China Initiative Committee in Iowa, US, understands why President Xi talks about people-to-people diplomacy and hopes more Chinese students will visit the US. He said he was looking forward to it.
“You get to know people individually one-on-one, you get to know individual families one-on-one, and then relationships develop and friendships develop. But it takes time. This kind of student interaction is a two-way street. ” he said.
