President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in Moscow, capital of Russia, March 23, 2013. (Photo: Xinhua)

In a March 2013 speech to the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, President Xi Jinping brought up the concept of a “community with a shared future” for the first time at an international occasion.

In September 2015 President Xi addressed the general debate of the seventy-fifth session of the United Nations General Assembly where he put forth a “five-pronged approach” to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

In January 2017 Xi upgraded the “five-pronged approach” to building an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.

Later the idea of a community with a shared future for mankind was integrated into the amended Constitution of the Communist Party of China, amendments to the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China and UN resolutions. Promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind has now become the core and essence of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy.

Promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind contributes to safeguarding world peace. Building a world that enjoys lasting peace and universal security is the primary goal of building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Peace and security are closely connected, but with different priorities. Lasting peace has always been mankind’s great ideal and the modern history of China makes Chinese people cherish peace deeply.

The founding of the UN gained the world 70 years of relative peace, but the world is still troubled by security matters. It is time to set up a vision of a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and coordinate efforts in addressing traditional and non-traditional security threats including the COVID-19 pandemic and terrorism.

Only through promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind can we propel common development. Building an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys common prosperity stands beyond national borders at the moral commanding heights of human societal development and progress: win-win cooperation enables countries to develop at the same time; exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations make up a colorful family of nations; green and low-carbon proposals make sustainable development.

In short, promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind is of great significance. It is an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, comprises the newest outcome of Marxism in the diplomatic field and carries traditional Chinese cultural essence further forward.

(He Dan, assistant research fellow at the Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy Studies Center)