Commentary: Build a community with shared future for mankind to seek happiness for all

There is only one world where all countries live in. All the countries are closely intertwined with each other as the globe is increasingly becoming a community with shared future. In face of complicated world economy and global issues, no country can manage alone.

Against such backdrop, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s proposal to build a community with shared future for mankind aims to seek happiness for people around the globe.

The Belt and Road Initiative, for instance, is a concrete action to realize win-win and shared development through enhanced cooperation. In line with the principle of wide consultation, joint construction and shared benefits, the initiative will benefit all the participating countries and even the world at large, and improve people’s well-being.

In this sense, the amazing Belt and Road Initiative is of epoch-making significance. Japan, as a neighbor of China, should join this great initiative and work together with China to bring benefits to people of all countries.

Xi’s proposals of building a community with shared future for mankind, the Belt and Road Initiative and the new type of international relations are closely related, forming an organic system. With the continuous development of China, I had been expecting clear views on international relations from Xi. To my pleasure, he did raise the theory on a new type of international relations.

The theory, featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice and win-win cooperation, shares the same core with the concept of building a community with shared future for mankind. Its ultimate goal is to achieve lasting peace and common prosperity. I couldn’t agree more with him on this point.

Nowadays, China’s rapid progress in many fields has narrowed its gap with the US, and as a result put pressure on the latter. It is exactly what Japan had experienced before.

Japan had a large trade surplus with the US in 1980s, but a fast appreciation of Japanese yen came after the US forced it to sign the Plaza Accord. The dramatic change brought huge negative impacts on Japan’s market, industries and economy. China should learn from this painful experience and stay vigilant and prudent.

The US is not the only country with which China has trade surplus. It indicates that China has done a good job in globalization and its enterprises have taken the essence of the trend.

Globalization aims to produce the best quality products at the lowest costs. Any countries that are capable of producing such products will naturally see trade surpluses, as such products are welcomed everywhere.

What the US should do is to reflect on its own manufacturing model since such trade deficits partially came from the popularity of such China-made products among American consumers.

Given the all-recognized importance of free trade, the world is amid the worries over the rising tide of trade protectionism.

China and the US have already become inseparable partners. Many industries in the US depend on the imports from China, and the US agriculture and some other industries rely heavily on the Chinese market.

The trade protectionism of the Trump administration, which aims to achieve quick results, may reduce the US trade deficit in a short term, but the problem cannot be solved radically if no change takes place on the country’s industrial structure.

It’s believed that there will be more voices from the US that urge the Trump administration to stop the current trade protectionism policy, and the US government should make adjustment in time.

China’s continuous growth has brought many opportunities to the world. However, the rise of China has triggered concerns of some countries over where the country would go with its enhanced strength.

Xi’s proposal to build a community with shared future for mankind and a new type of international relations, which came rightly at this critical moment, tells the world China’s determination to insist on a road of peaceful development, never seek hegemony or engage in expansion. His diplomacy bears a huge significance to ease the concerns of the international community.

Last October, Xi, also the general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), depicted China’s future development and contributed Chinese solutions to global issues in his wonderful speech at the 19th CPC National Congress.

The international community hopes to hear more views and proposals from China, and the 2018 annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) remains a very important chance. I believe that countries around the world can know more about China through the objective and accurate media coverage.

(The author is chairman of the Board of Directors of the Boao Forum for Asia and former Japanese Prime Minister.)