A closer Asean-China community with a shared future will lead the trend of times of building a community with a shared future for mankind

The Chinese vision of building a shared future has developed into substantive action, giving a strong boost to global governance in various sectors
China and Asean can work together to overcome common challenges, advance open regionalism and boost cooperation opportunities

Hou Yanqi

Published: 11:00am, 26 May 2024

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Building a community with a shared future for mankind is the noble goal pursued by China in advancing major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics for the new era.

The world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation with emerging hotspot issues and intensifying geopolitical conflicts, as well as rising instability and uncertainty. We humankind are at a new crossroads. Bearing the future of the world in mind, President Xi Jinping put forth the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, which answers the question of our times – “where is humanity headed” – and gives China’s proposal for how to solve the questions of “what kind of world to build and how to build it”.

Since its inception in 2013, building a community with a shared future for mankind has developed from a Chinese initiative into an international consensus, from a promising vision into substantive actions, and from a conceptual proposition into a scientific system. It has been included in resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly for seven consecutive years and has given a strong boost to global governance in various sectors.

China’s President Xi Jinping in 2013 proposed the vision of building a closer Asean-China community with a shared future. Photo: Pool / AFP

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations enjoy geographical proximity, cultural affinity and a common future, which makes us a natural community with a shared future. In 2013, President Xi proposed the vision of building a closer Asean-China community with a shared future. Up to now, China has reached important consensus separately with seven Asean members on building such a community, which has laid a solid foundation for a closer Asean-China community with a shared future.

We have a rich historical heritage for building a closer Asean-China community with a shared future. The Chinese culture of harmony aligns with the value of unity in the diversity of Asean, which constitutes a cultural gene of a community with a shared future. Since the establishment of dialogue relations in 1991, the Asean-China relationship has achieved leapfrog developments. In 2021, we took the lead in establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership.

China and Asean have been each other’s largest trading partner for four consecutive years. The Laos-China Railway, Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway and other projects under the Belt and Road Initiative keep unleashing dividends. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a free-trade agreement, has come into full effect. These have delivered tangible benefits to more than two billion people in 11 countries.

We jointly overcame the Asian Financial Crisis and addressed various natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. Especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, we firmly stood together and offered each other support, which created resonances of a community with a shared future across the region.

People take pictures with the first car of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train during a public trial phase at the Tegalluar station in Bandung, West Java, in September 2023. Photo: AFP

Building a closer Asean-China community is based on our common needs. China is advancing Chinese modernisation through high-quality development, and Asean is committed to its motto “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”. We are facing similar challenges of promoting economic recovery, improving people’s livelihood, and maintaining regional peace and stability. China will continue to contribute to the efforts of Asean community building with Chinese modernisation, and support Asean’s modernisation along its own development path, so that an Asean-China community with a shared future will benefit more people in the region.

There are bright prospects awaiting a closer Asean-China community. As members of the Global South, we provide each other with important development opportunities and have tremendous potential for cooperation. China is vigorously developing new quality productive forces, while Asean is accelerating industrial transformation and upgrading.

It is important for both sides to seize opportunities to enhance strategic synergy and integrated development, and lead cooperation in emerging industries such as artificial intelligence, digital economy, blue economy, and low-carbon transformation to sustain the region as an epicentre of growth.

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We must advance true multilateralism and open regionalism, jointly implement the three important global initiatives, and work together to promote an equal and orderly multipolar world. We must also push for universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation to continuously inject stability and certainty into the world.

The Lao PDR, the rotating chair of Asean, has designated this year’s theme as “Asean: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience”. It is also the Asean-China Year of People-to-People Exchanges. China is strengthening synergy and cooperation with Asean around the above themes, committed to creating fruitful results, promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilisations and people-to-people bonds, and injecting rich connotations into the East Asia cooperation as well as the Asean-China community.

Where the heart goes, the action follows. China is ready to work closely with Asean to promote a higher-level comprehensive strategic partnership, build a closer Asean-China community, and lead the trend of the times towards a community with a shared future for mankind.

Hou Yanqi is a Chinese diplomat serving as the ambassador to Asean.

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