This is an era of promise, and an era of challenges. At yet another crossroads in history, we have to choose between unity and division, between opening up and closing off, cooperation and confrontation. With the overall interests of humanity at stake, this choice tests the wisdom of all countries.

Ten years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping propounded the idea of building a global community of shared future, answering a question raised by the world, by history, and by the times: “Where is humanity headed?” His proposal lights the path forward as the world fumbles for solutions, and represents China’s contribution to global efforts to protect our shared home and create a better future of prosperity for all.

To build a shared future, all peoples, countries and individuals—our destinies being interconnected—must stand together in adversity and through thick and thin, navigating towards greater harmony on this planet that we call home. We should build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity, turning people’s longing for a better life into reality. More countries and people have come to the understanding that this vision serves the common interests of humanity, represents popular calls for peace, justice and progress, and can create the greatest synergy among all nations for building a better world. It is therefore of great significance to promote solidarity and cooperation among all countries and create a better future for humanity.

An advocate and a doer

Initiatives lead to action, and direction determines the way forward. Over the past 10 years, China has, with firm conviction and solid actions, worked actively to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, proposed and delivered on the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative. We are working with more and more countries and regions to jointly build such a global community, so that we can contribute ideas and strength to respond to global challenges and better global governance, and make greater contributions to world peace and development.

Over the past decade, China has signed documents on Belt and Road cooperation with more than three quarters of the countries in the world and 32 international organisations. The trade in goods between China and countries along the Belt and Road increased from $1.04 trillion to $2.07 trillion, with an average annual growth rate of 8 percent. The two-way investment between China and countries along the Belt and Road exceeded $270 billion. Chinese enterprises have created 421,000 local jobs in overseas economic and trade cooperation zones in countries along the Belt and Road.

Through the Global Development Initiative, China helps accelerate the implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and contributes to resolving challenges to development and advancing global development. China presented 32 major measures to implement the initiative, such as creating the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, totalling $4 billion. Currently, more than 100 countries and international organisations have expressed support for the Global Development Initiative, with over 70 countries participating in the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative established at the UN.

Similarly, through the Global Security Initiative, China creates a new path to security that features dialogue over confrontation, partnership over alliance, and win-win results over zero-sum game. Facing constant flare-ups of hotspot issues, China has been committed to fulfilling its role as a responsible major country. Through the mediation of China, Saudi Arabia and Iran have achieved historic reconciliation, catalysing a wave of reconciliation in the Middle East. Through the Global Civilisation Initiative, China calls for jointly advocating respect for the diversity of civilisations, the common values of humanity, the importance of continuity and evolution of civilisations, and closer international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation. The international community has spoken highly of these three global initiatives, acknowledging that they reflect China’s global vision and growing international influence and provide comprehensive solutions to the challenges confronting humanity.

China-Nepal relations

China and Nepal are friendly neighbours linked by mountains and rivers. President Xi Jinping paid a historic state visit to Nepal in 2019. China and Nepal decided to elevate the China-Nepal relationship to the Strategic Partnership of Cooperation Featuring Ever-lasting Friendship for Development and Prosperity. In September of this year, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ successfully met in Hangzhou, reaching important consensus and jointly drawing a grand blueprint for China-Nepal relations and cooperation.

Since China and Nepal inked a Memorandum of Understanding on Belt and Road cooperation in 2017, a series of fruitful results has been achieved. There was more policy alignment, improved exchange mechanisms for trade and economic issues, and streamlined connectivity programmes that formed up a web of multi-dimensional connectivity network in such areas as ports, roads, railways, airways and telecommunications, helping Nepal transit from a landlocked country into a land-linked nation. China is ready to work with Nepal to follow the important results of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Nepal in 2019, and consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, support Nepal to push forward agricultural modernisation, energy autonomy, industrial upgrading and transformation, and better safeguard its independence and economic autonomy.

A bright future will not come by itself. It calls for the joint efforts of all. The vision of a global community of shared future will not be accomplished overnight, and the course of doing that will be no plain sailing. It calls for unity among all countries and common action for common good in order to make our planet a beautiful home for all. China stands ready to enhance solidarity and cooperation with countries in the world including Nepal, work together to play a bigger role in advancing human progress and the modernisation process, make greater contributions to the building of a global community of shared future and jointly shape a brighter future for humankind.