Through mutual benefits and win-win cooperation, China promotes friendship and cooperation

Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT

Editor's note:

“China will work with all countries to promote friendship and cooperation, strengthen mutual learning among different cultures, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. We must jointly create a better future for the world.” Chinese President Xi Jinping's 2025 New Year message received enthusiastic reactions. As major changes unseen in a century unfold, China will continue to bring momentum and confidence to a world beset by turmoil and transformation. The Global Times launches a series of articles themed “China's Commitments in the New Era” to help our audiences gain an in-depth understanding of the importance of China's commitment to its contemporary responsibilities.

On the eve of the New Year, President Xi Jinping, in his 2025 New Year message, depicted a promising model of friendship and cooperation for the people of China and the world: “As changes unseen in a century s As the world accelerates, it is important to overcome estrangement and conflict with a broad vision and to care for the future of humanity with great passion. China will work with all countries to promote friendship and cooperation, strengthen mutual learning among different cultures and build a community with a shared future. for humanity. We must create a better future for the world together. ” Looking back, China has always interpreted the spirit of “promoting global solidarity” through concrete actions, demonstrating an inclusive open-mindedness with mutual respect and an unwavering pursuit of mutual understanding. win-win cooperation through pragmatic measures.

Throughout 2024, China's economy has demonstrated remarkable resilience and openness, injecting powerful momentum into global economic recovery and regional integration. In the first three quarters of 2024, China's GDP reached 95 trillion yuan ($12.98 trillion), an increase of 4.8 percent year-on-year, and annual GDP is expected to exceed 130 trillion of yuan. A prosperous China also benefits the world. In the first 11 months of 2024, China's total overseas direct investment in various sectors reached 1.05 trillion yuan, an increase of 10.3 percent year-on-year. Of this amount, non-financial overseas direct investment in countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative amounted to 214.66 billion yuan, an increase of 6.2 percent.

At the same time, China is making steady progress on the path of deepening regional economic and trade cooperation. Negotiations on the upgrade of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 were successfully concluded, while key progress was made in the negotiations on the China-Japan-South Korea free trade agreement . China has also upgraded or signed free trade agreements with Singapore, the Maldives and Serbia through a series of economic and trade collaborations.

Through a series of economic and trade cooperations, China has established closer ties with several countries, making positive contributions to global hunger reduction, poverty alleviation and prosperous development. These efforts have been observed and appreciated by people around the world.

Over the past year, China has firmly adhered to the path of peaceful development, actively advocating multilateralism and international cooperation, and promoting the construction of a new type of international relations. At the BRICS Summit, China held in-depth discussions with other BRICS countries on hot topics such as global economic governance and sustainable development, jointly issuing a series of declarations and action plans. At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, China and other member states focused on key areas such as regional security and economic cooperation, reaching a number of important consensuses. The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit 2024 was successfully held in Beijing, resulting in broad and deep agreements between China and African countries in areas such as trade, infrastructure, agriculture and health.

China has also strengthened political mutual trust and strategic cooperation with various countries through mechanisms such as high-level reciprocal visits and strategic dialogues. In 2024, China upgraded its relations with Uzbekistan to a comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era. It has also signed several historic cooperation agreements with Brazil, Mexico and other Latin American countries, and reached a series of mutually beneficial cooperation consensuses with Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia. and Iran on issues related to regional security and energy cooperation.

Furthermore, over the past year, China has actively upheld cultural diversity, promoting mutual understanding and respect for global cultures and ideas while facilitating international exchanges. The concept of a community with a shared future for humanity has been continuously incorporated into resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for eight years, demonstrating its increasingly significant global identity. In addition, China and Africa have placed mutual learning among civilizations at the forefront of the 10 partnership action plans to jointly advance modernization. China also successfully promoted the establishment of the International Day of Dialogue Among Civilizations at the United Nations General Assembly.

At the same time, China has jointly organized many cultural exchange activities with several countries, deepening the emotional ties between their peoples, including the China-ASEAN Year of People's Exchanges, the China-ASEAN Year of Culture. Russia and the Silk Road Cultural Festival. In addition, a joint Chinese-Saudi archaeological team jointly excavated millennium-old cultural relics, while Chinese and Egyptian archaeologists jointly restored history in the Karnak temple complex in Luxor, Egypt. These collaborative efforts showcase the charm of diverse cultures to the current generation and promote mutual learning and exchanges between civilizations.

In today's world, trade protectionism is on the rise, geopolitical tensions continue to hover, and extreme weather events triggered by global climate change, as well as emerging public health crises, continue. Faced with these challenges, putting aside differences and maintaining communication are urgent tasks for countries to manage risks and prevent conflict escalation. Only through friendly cooperation and joint efforts can countries meet global challenges and create a more harmonious, stable and prosperous future.

As China continues to uphold an open and inclusive foreign policy that emphasizes win-win cooperation, seizes the trends of the times, courageously assumes its international responsibilities, and actively upholds and practices true multilateralism, it will with the world in a more open way. , promoting intercultural dialogue and cooperation. Therefore, China will undoubtedly have more and more partners, and the international order will gradually evolve towards a fairer and more reasonable direction, thereby helping to further strengthen the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind and maintaining global peace and security. .

Lan Qingxin is a professor at the BRICS Research Center of the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE). Yang Penghui is a doctoral student at the School of International Economics and Business at IUBE. [email protected]