Successful Paris talks would boost global confidence

The rapidly snowballing uncertainties and conflicts have scared people to an extent not seen since the Cold War. Facing the worsening and increasingly complicated international context, global leaders should not be complacent and business-as-usual when they try to reach agreement on addressing climate change.

Dealing with global warming is a chance for them to demonstrate solidarity in their willingness and ability to protect the global village. The leaders, representing their countries, should show vision, flexibility, inclusiveness and caring, and entrust their negotiating teams to conclude a Paris agreement after two weeks of cooperative talks.

A successful and meaningful outcome would help boost global confidence that the world's leaders can compromise and work together to realize solutions to our common difficulties.

This is bottom-line yardstick to assess the achievement of United Nations climate change summit. Going beyond that, the leaders should announce practical cooperation to fighting terrorism.

So the leaders must take actions to offer the needed global public goods: security and safety, which are under immediate threat, in Europe, West Asia, North Africa and South Asia. To do so, they need to abandon their outdated geopolitical perspectives and integrate fresh thinking such as win-win strategies, global solutions and human destiny into their discussions to produce real solutions to today's problems.

Paris is the chance for them to do so, for the benefit of all.

The author is China Daily chief correspondent in Brussels. fujing@chinadaily.com.cn