Initiatives pave way for better human future

The world today is undergoing a profound transformation. Peace and development, which are the goal of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, face severe challenges.

To promote global peace and development, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2021 and China put forward the Global Security Initiative at the Boao Forum for Asia in April 2022 to safeguard world peace and tranquility.

The two initiatives not only forge synergy to build a community with a shared future for mankind but also will help all developing countries to pursue modernization. They reflect China's sincerity and responsibility for closer communication and enhanced cooperation with the rest of the world to promote world peace and development.

Given the present global situation, it is the responsibility of emerging market and developing economies to uphold globalization and multilateralism, so countries of the Global South can boost their economic development and improve the lives of their peoples, which will help maintain world peace and promote common development.

And BRICS, as a grouping of emerging market economies, is best suited to take up this responsibility. Hence, the five BRICS member states should deepen cooperation within the bloc, as well as with other developing countries to help the global economy to overcome the serious challenges it faces and promote global development and peace.

The fact that the 14th BRICS Summit, which concluded on Thursday, was themed "Foster High Quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in the New Era for Global Development" shows that the grouping is committed to strengthening cooperation among the developing countries to overcome the food and energy crises.

As a very important BRICS member and the world's second-largest economy, China has been contributing more and more to global development and peace, and has promised to continue doing so. And the Global Development Initiative is a major step toward fulfilling that promise, for it will promote the global development cause and help realize the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Beijing hosted three events last week, which boosted BRICS cooperation. The series of events started with the BRICS Business Forum on Wednesday and was followed by the 14th BRICS Summit on Thursday, and concluded with the High-level Dialogue on Global Development on Friday. That more than 1,000 officials, diplomats and business representatives from 18 countries attended the forum shows that it attracted not only BRICS members but also other economies.

Addressing the BRICS Business Forum via video link, President Xi said countries need to work together to steer global development toward a new era to tackle the global challenges and improve people's well-being. Emphasizing that people across the world are concerned about the unending challenges facing the global economy, Xi urged countries to pursue common development.

The best economic development is one that benefits all. The GDI meets this criterion as it puts common development high on its global macro policy agenda. While requiring countries to engage in effective coordination in national development schedules, regional development mechanisms and multilateral development platforms, the GDI urges major economies to adopt responsible economic and financial policies.

The GDI also calls on better-off countries to pursue inclusive development, so all countries can benefit from global development, and urges countries to take result-oriented actions to improve people's livelihoods and alleviate poverty.

Since security is a prerequisite for development, and development is a prerequisite for national security, the China-proposed Global Security Initiative underpins "six commitments"; committed to the vision of common, comprehensive and sustainable security; committed to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries; abiding by the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter; taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously; peacefully resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation; and maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains.

In fact, the GSI aims to promote and strengthen the UN-led international security architecture based on the UN Charter. It also emphasizes the indivisibility of the security of all nations and is fundamentally different from the alliance-led security architecture of the United States and its allies.

More important, the GSI is committed to promoting sustainable peace and universal security in the world. It urges countries to resolve differences through consultation and dialogue.

The GDI and GSI are like the two main pillars supporting a community's architecture and are based on the Chinese tradition of promoting "peace" and "development". Which represent China's pursuit of peace and development, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

The author is full-time deputy secretary-general of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy Studies Center and vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies.

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