Speakers express views during a discussion titled “Community with Shared Future for Mankind”

ISLAMABAD, MAR 17: A roundtable discussion on, “Community with Shared Future for Mankind” was organized at the Area Study Centre (Russia, China & Central Asia), University of Peshawar. This round table discussion was jointly organized by Area Study Centre (Russia, China & Central Asia), University of Peshawar and Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future, Communication University of China, Beijing, China.

The session commenced with the opening remarks of Prof. Deqiang Ji, Vice Dean, Institute for a Community with Shared Future, Communication University of China, Beijing, China. He joined the round table discussion virtually from China.

He highlighted that this is a very timely initiative by the institutions keeping in view the importance of consensus-building and interaction at the global and regional level. This is particularly important in the post-covid-19 era.

A community with a shared future for mankind is a new proposal for responding to the unprecedented global crisis and building a sustainable and inclusive community for all. Win-win collaboration and mutual respect are also a central part of this proposal.

The International academic network including the Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared future and other centers will work closely to promote this idea to a bigger international audience. This will contribute to the global dialogue for a shared future for mankind.

Prof. Dr. Shabir Ahmed, Director, Area Study Center (Russia, China & Central Asia), University of Peshawar discussed that China believes that unity and diversity can only be adopted and promoted by dialogue on equal footing, mutual learning, and common prosperity.

This concept developed by China envisions a more fair, safe, and prosperous world in which China sees itself as the sincere builder of world peace and an important contributor to regional and global development, and a reliable reformer of international order.

He also emphasized that a lot of countries are now partnering with China as it has a clear aim of shared prosperity. Furthermore, China is expected to play a more active and responsible role in leading enhanced global governance and exploring new models of cooperation for world development.

This concept is based on traditional Chinese wisdom and philosophy regarding the relationship between diversity, unity, order, chaos, nature, and humanity.

Prof. Dr. Zahid Anwar, Director, China Study Centre, University of Peshawar, discussed that the foreign policy of China is based on five basic principles including peaceful co-existence that provides the foundation of building a community with a shared and prosperous future for mankind.

China has introduced a win-win model for the global community in this century in the shape of the Belt and Road initiative. It is against none and all-inclusive. China also believes that no nation can solve its issues by living in isolation.

He further mentioned that the COVID-19 outbreak has dragged the human race into a fierce war with a highly infectious disease on a global scale. In these testing times, looking out for each other has written a new chapter of building a global community with a shared future. This intends to create an open and inclusive world with intensified civilization and cultural exchanges. He also mentioned that this idea also represents a green, clean and beautiful world of mutual respect and prosperity.

Dr. Zarmina Baluch, Lecturer, Department of Political Science, Islamia College University Peshawar and Member Board of Experts, CGSS highlighted that we are living in a contemporary capitalist world surrounded by globalization, power politics, proxy wars, and interstate aggression. What the world needs today are conflict management and mutual interaction. Hence, building peace is required. The themes of dialogue of civilization and building a community of shared future for mankind present an opportunity to share ideas and learn from each other. This contributes to the collective wisdom for the development of universal civilization.

President Xi is the only contemporary global leader who has proposed and uplifted the idea of a community with a shared future. Furthermore, the Chinese nation also holds such beliefs as, “peace is most precious”, “harmony without uniformity” and “universal love and non-aggression”.

Dr. Shafi Afridi, Assistant Professor, Area Study Centre (Russia, China & Central Asia), University of Peshawar discussed the origin of the idea of a community with a shared future. He explained that this idea was first highlighted by Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in 2007. The key idea behind this concept was to understand that mankind has only one earth to live on, and therefore countries have only one world to share.

China’s solution to many significant global problems is to build a community with a shared future for mankind and to help the changing the unipolar international order and system. The Chinese leadership aims to employ this concept of interpretation of international relations with the hope to improve global governance. In August 2018, China’s renowned diplomat, Yang Jeichi wrote that Community with a Shared Future for mankind is the overall goal of China’s foreign affairs in the new era and requires a new type of international relations.

Dr. Muhammad Ali Dinakhel, Research Associate, Area Study Center (Russia, China & Central Asia), University of Peshawar highlighted the cultural aspect of the idea of a community with a shared future for mankind. He highlighted that this concept is a symbolic slogan and a diplomatic concept. This concept is the Chinese wisdom to enlighten the world. China has begun to play a leading role in improving global governance by contributing Chinese solutions and wisdom.

He further highlighted that building a community with a shared future for mankind is one of the core concepts and basic policies guiding Chinese diplomacy in the new era. It marks the beginning of China’s global activism. This notion reflects China’s evolving strategic thinking and changed the perception of its international status.

Prof. Dr. Hamid Khan, Qurtuba University, Peshawar discussed that the basic idea is that the vision is going to be a win-win situation for mankind. It is utopian thinking to make this world a paradise a place where all rights are ensured and people enjoy the benefits of any vision or ideology.

He highlighted that as a student and researcher of literature we are concerned with the human conditions and to what extent a particular system can help in alleviating the living conditions of humans. China has played a magnificent role in this regard. He highlighted that the idea of a global government requires good thinking, actions, and intentions. China has put forward this model that displays humanity, community, and global prosperity.

Ms. Laraib Farhat, student of International Relations, University of Peshawar highlighted that the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind is a flagship vision of China that advocates solutions to many global challenges such as global public health, gender inequality, climate change, and many other problems faced by the global community.

She also mentioned that this concept is all about rejecting the cold war mentality and power politics. It presents an idea of moving towards a new approach that is developing state-to-state relationships with the help of communication and dialogue. It believes in avoiding confrontation and promoting partnerships and alliances.

In his closing remarks, Prof. Dr. Shabir Ahmed, Director, Area Study Center (Russia, China & Central Asia), University of Peshawar mentioned that the foreign policy of China is based on peace. Pakistan and China are already exploring many avenues of cooperation and now it is up to Pakistan that how we explore benefit from more opportunities under the community with a shared future for mankind specifically in academics and research.

The roundtable discussion was attended by 30 participants including members of the academic community and students of International relations and related fields.

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COURTESY CGSS

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