Solve trust deficit for a better future for Asia and the world

China Plus Published: 2019-06-16 11:46:16
Comment
Share
Share this with Close
Messenger Messenger Pinterest LinkedIn

Note: The following article is taken from the Chinese-language "Commentaries on International Affairs".

In a speech at the fifth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Chinese President Xi Jinping has put forward proposals and expressed China's stance on how to cope with common challenges, build an Asian community of shared future and create a better future.

Leaders or representatives of member countries of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) pose for a group photo with representatives of observer states and relevant international and regional organizations in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, June 15, 2019. The fifth CICA summit was held in Dushanbe on Saturday. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the summit. [Photo: Xinhua/Zhang Ling]

Leaders or representatives of member countries of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) pose for a group photo with representatives of observer states and relevant international and regional organizations in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, June 15, 2019. The fifth CICA summit was held in Dushanbe on Saturday. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the summit. [Photo: Xinhua/Zhang Ling]

In his speech, President Xi Jinping has called on CICA members to build an Asia featuring mutual respect and trust, security and stability, development and prosperity, openness and inclusiveness, as well as cooperation and innovation. He's calling for more to be done to solve four "deficits" in global affairs, namely the deficits in trust, peace, development and governance.

To solve the trust deficit, Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of mutual respect and mutual trust, saying everyone needs to respect each other's respective choice of political systems and development paths, while discarding the zero-sum game mentality and protectionism so political trust and consensus can thrive.

To solve the peace deficit, Xi Jinping argues that to build a safe and stable Asia, there should be dialogue rather than confrontation, as well as partnerships rather than alliances among CICA members. He says CICA members need to be firm in cracking down on terrorism and extinguishing extremism, saying CICA members need to explore a regional security structure with Asian features to make a safer Asian continent.

To solve the development deficit, Xi Jinping says development is key to all problems, saying countries in Asia and beyond need to work together to promote trade and investment liberalization, as well as finalize documents for regional integration such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. He says the Chinese side is working to synergize the Belt and Road Initiative with the development strategies of other countries, while also working to try to connect nations and promote high-quality economic development.

Facing a governance deficit being compounded by increased unilateralism, protectionism and de-globalization, Xi Jinping says CICA members need to adopt a vision of civilizations based on equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness, while expanding people-to-people exchanges inside and outside the region, replace civilization superiority with diversified coexistence, replace civilization clashes with harmonious symbiosis, replace civilization estrangement with exchanges and sharing, and replace civilization rigidity with joint prosperity and progress.

The Chinese President has also used his speech at the CICA to remind the other leaders at the event that as a member of the Asian family and a responsible major country in the international community, China will continue to be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of international order. He says China wants to spearhead this change in international relations to create a community with a shared future for mankind.

Xi Jinping has also told the CICA session in Dushanbe that China will maintain a peaceful development path, vowing never to seek benefits at the expense of others. He says China will be maintaining its opening-up and win-win approach to international affairs. He says the country wants to share its development opportunities with others, inject powerful momentum into their common development through platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the China International Import Expo. He has also outlined a governance vision based around consultation, joint contributions and shared benefits, saying China intends to staunchly protect the international system, with the United Nations at its core, and firmly safeguard the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core. He's told the CICA session that China remains opposed to protectionism and unilateralism, and will protect international fairness and justice by protecting the legitimate right to development for all countries.

As a multilateral forum focusing on security, the CICA's mandate is to help create a peaceful, safe and stable Asia by bringing together the various member-states to talk and build trust among one another. President Xi Jinping's speech, as well as China's contributions to the CICA over the years, shows China's willingness to help other CICA members pursue peace, stability and prosperity by promoting dialogue and cooperation. By doing so, each member of the CICA can work together to find opportunities and overcome challenges, creating a better future for Asia and the world.

Related stories

Share this story on

Columnists

LU Xiankun Professor LU Xiankun is Managing Director of LEDECO Geneva and Associate Partner of IDEAS Centre Geneva. He is Emeritus Professor of China Institute for WTO Studies of the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) and Wuhan University (WHU) of China and visiting professor or senior research fellow of some other universities and think tanks in China and Europe. He also sits in management of some international business associations and companies, including as Senior Vice President of Shenzhen UEB Technology LTD., a leading e-commerce company of China. Previously, Mr. LU was senior official of Chinese Ministry of Commerce and senior diplomat posted in Europe, including in Geneva as Counsellor and Head of Division of the Permanent Mission of China to the WTO and in Brussels as Commercial Secretary of the Permanent Mission of China to the EU. Benjamin Cavender Benjamin Cavender is a Shanghai based consultant with more than 11 years of experience helping companies understand consumer behavior and develop go to market strategies for China. He is a frequent speaker on economic and consumer trends in China and is often featured on CNBC, Bloomberg, and Channel News Asia. Sara Hsu Sara Hsu is an associate professor from the State University of New York at New Paltz. She is a regular commentator on Chinese economy. Xu Qinduo Xu Qinduo is CRI's former chief correspondent to Washington DC, the United States. He works as the producer, host and commentator for TODAY, a flagship talk show on current affairs. Mr. Xu contributes regularly to English-language newspapers including Shenzhen Daily and Global Times as well as Chinese-language radio and TV services. Lin Shaowen A radio person, Mr. Lin Shaowen is strongly interested in international relations and Chinese politics. As China is quite often misunderstood in the rest of the world, he feels the need to better present the true picture of the country, the policies and meanings. So he talks a lot and is often seen debating. Then friends find a critical Lin Shaowen criticizing and criticized. George N. Tzogopoulos Dr George N. Tzogopoulos is an expert in media and politics/international relations as well as Chinese affairs. He is Senior Research Fellow at the Centre International de Européenne (CIFE) and Visiting Lecturer at the European Institute affiliated with it and is teaching international relations at the Department of Law of the Democritus University of Thrace. George is the author of two books: US Foreign Policy in the European Media: Framing the Rise and Fall of Neoconservatism (IB TAURIS) and The Greek Crisis in the Media: Stereotyping in the International Press (Ashgate) as well as the founder of chinaandgreece.com, an institutional partner of CRI Greek. David Morris David Morris is the Pacific Islands Trade and Investment Commissioner in China, a former Australian diplomat and senior political adviser. Harvey Dzodin After a distinguished career in the US government and American media Dr. Harvey Dzodin is now a Beijing-based freelance columnist for several media outlets. While living in Beijing, he has published over 200 columns with an emphasis on arts, culture and the Belt & Road initiative. He is also a sought-after speaker and advisor in China and abroad. He currently serves as Nonresident Research Fellow of the think tank Center for China and Globalization and Senior Advisor of Tsinghua University National Image Research Center specializing in city branding. Dr. Dzodin was a political appointee of President Jimmy Carter and served as lawyer to a presidential commission. Upon the nomination of the White House and the US State Department he served at the United Nations Office in Vienna, Austria. He was Director and Vice President of the ABC Television in New York for more than two decades.