Recently, on March 7, the Foreign Minister of People’s Republic of China, Wang Yi, highlighted a number of important aspects of Chinese foreign policy and diplomacy, which underlined how China’s diplomacy and approach to international affairs has matured, and could reshape the world – for the better.
By Zvomuya Madhake
Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the governing Communist Party of China’s Central Committee addressed a press conference on the sidelines of the just-ended Second Session of the 14th National People’s Congress. The wide-ranging conversation with Chinese and foreign media underlined how China’s well-considered approaches – mostly shaped by President Xi Jingping’s “Thought on Diplomacy” – could be the moral and pragmatic compass in global affairs, which thrusts China in a leadership role at a time there is a dearth of leadership. At the same time, China’s clarity and well-meaning leadership at the global stage is proving a perfect antidote to the chaos and depravity left behind by United States of America’s fading hegemony and unilateralism. These changing dynamics are important for the rest of the world including Zimbabwe and Africa.
Wang foregrounded his delivery by stating that, “China will stand firmly on the right side of history and on the side of human progress, and will advocate vigorously peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit.” He added that China will pursue its development “along with its efforts for peace and development of the world, and at the same time, it will make greater contributions to world peace and development through its own development”.
At the core of this approach is the spirit of “true multilateralism”, which President Xi has emphasised and whose building blocks include, upholding the international system and order with the United Nations at its core; mutually beneficial cooperation; removal trade, investment and technology barriers; promotion of inclusive development that delivers benefits to all; building of trust and harmony; promote win-win cooperation; and marching with firm steps toward the goal of building a “community with a shared future for mankind”. Further, “Xiplomacy” – President Xi’s approach to diplomacy, emphasises opposition to unilateralism, hegemony and power politics as well as the imperative to tear down rather than build walls.
Core tenet
Responding to a question on China could proceed with building a community with a shared future for mankind, Wang explained that building a community with a shared future for mankind is the core tenet of China under President Xi and, “It is China’s solution to the question of what kind of world to build and how to build it.” He related that President Xi had stressed many times that humanity “live in the same global village and travel in the same boat”.
“Facing various global challenges coming our way, countries should rise above their differences in history, culture, geography and system, and work together to protect the Earth, the only inhabitable planet for us all, and make it a better place,” Wang said. He the idea of a community of a shared future for mankind, Wang explained, goes beyond the obsolete zero-sum game mentality, assumes the moral high ground of civilization, and captures the shared aspirations of all nations. According to China, the concept of a shared future for mankind points the right direction for humanity at a historical inflection point where accelerated transformation unseen in a century is unfolding across the world. “Building a community with a shared future for mankind has become a glorious banner leading the progress of the times,” Wang said.
This approach is underpinned by a commitment, and giving a chance to multipolarity and economic globalization, with China believing in “an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization”.
Wang said: “An equal multipolar world means equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal rules for every nation. Certain or a few powers should not monopolize international affairs. Countries should not be categorized according to their strength. Those with the bigger fist should not have the final say. And it is definitely unacceptable that certain countries must be at the table while some others can only be on the menu. We must ensure that all countries, regardless of their size and strength, are able to take part in decision-making, enjoy their rights, and play their role as equals in the process toward a multipolar world.”
China’s practical steps on community of a shared future and benefits to the world
The most important and critical aspect about China’s approach to international affairs is that it is genuine, well-meaning and pragmatic. China has gone further to implement its philosophy through, and with, bilateral partners, multilateral institutions, regional frameworks as well as global initiatives, meaning that it is achieving its goal of building communities with a shared future with scores of countries and regions in multiple forms and domains.
Africa and the Third World in general, and Zimbabwe in particular, are among beneficiaries of this approach, and this explains why China is being favourably viewed in many countries because of its pursuit of common goals, respect for other countries as equal partners with whom it seeks “win-win” outcomes. In Africa, the growth of relations with China through trade and economic cooperation, which has amounted to billions of dollars in recent times – and increasing – is testament of how Africa affirms China’s philosophy.
The chief vehicle for Africa-China relations is the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation which was established in the year 2000 and has grown in importance across economic, political, diplomatic and social fronts. Focac was established on the back of the realisation that China, as largest developing country and Africa – the continent with the most developing countries in the world – held high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and win-win results, and unswervingly deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership to realize the high-quality development of China-Africa practical cooperation, as Focac explains states on its website.
A number of achievements have been made in through the cooperation of the two sides in the intervening years, and these include cancellation and forgiveness of debts owed by poor African countries, assistance agreements with African countries, human development cooperation, preferential trade agreements, China’s extension of loans to African countries, provision of scholarships, free health assistance programmes, agriculture demonstration villages, malaria support for African small and medium enterprise businesses, as well as academic and think tank cooperation. China and Africa have also undertaken “China-Africa people-to-people friendship action” to support and promote exchanges and cooperation between people’s organizations, women and youth of the two sides, media, research, exchange and cooperation by academic institutions and scholars of the two sides. China is also cooperating with Africa in terms of peace and security with the Asian giant providing financial support for the AU peace-keeping missions in Africa and the development of the African Standby Force, training more AU peace-keepers and officials in peace and security affairs for Africa while in recent times also considering cooperation in the non-traditional domains of peace and security in light of evolving challenges, including terrorism and cybersecurity issues.
Zimbabwe, which predicated its “Look East Policy” on sound relations with China at the turn of the century, has benefited from China at bilateral and multilateral level through State and technical assistance extended by China, infrastructure development, Foreign Direct Investments by Chinese companies, loans and through symbiotic cooperation on political issues on the international stage. Zimbabwe will join 52 other countries for the Focac Summit in Beijing later this year, which will further enhance and cement relations between China and Africa. The Focac Summit has become the most important multilateral platform for the developing world, arguably after the United Nations. Critically, while other powers such as the US and the European Union and other individual powers have had similar forums, the China Africa cooperation has trumped all of them in importance.
In furtherance of the idea of community of shared future for mankind, China has also developed initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative, all of which underline and underscore global cooperation in the spirit of true multilateralism. African countries, including Zimbabwe, are part of these initiatives and networks, entrenching further benefits and friendship.
Future of the globe, international affairs
There is hope for the world, despite the chaos that is marking the tail end of unilateralism and US and Western hegemony. China’s clarity and moral approach is critical, and this is why it should be supported – indeed as it is being – by countries such as Zimbabwe.
The future of the globe rests on multipolarity, cooperation and mutual respect among all countries.
Wang asserted that “the evolution of the international situation in recent years shows again and again that the number-one reality in today’s world is that all countries rise and fall together and that the sure path to meeting the challenges is mutual assistance and win-win cooperation”. He explained that more and more countries and peoples had come to the realisation that the future of humanity should be decided by all countries together, and that the future of the world should be built by all peoples together. He pledged that China was ready to work with all countries “to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity.”
A key plank of an orderly multipolar world, according to China, is that countries of the world must observe the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and uphold the universally recognized basic norms governing international relation; and that all countries must act within the UN-centered international system, and pursue cooperation under global governance.
*The writer is an associate researcher with Ruzivo Media & Resource Centre, a Harare-based think tank
