China’s Initiatives Make Major Contributions to Improving the International Landscape

The 20th National Congress of the CPC is about to convene. Unknowingly, the CPC has already traversed nearly a decade of journey under the leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. This decade is a glorious chapter in the centennial history of the CPC, creating numerous epoch-making achievements. Here, I will only discuss China’s tremendous contributions over this decade from the perspective of the international landscape.

中国共产党第二十次全国代表大会即将召开。不知不觉间，中国共产党在以习近平同志为核心的党中央领导下已经走过近十年历程。这十年是中国共产党百年华章上的辉煌一章，创造了多个跨时代的成绩。在此，我仅从国际格局的视角，谈一谈中国在这十年间作出的巨大贡献。

In today’s world, the health crisis brought by the COVID-19 pandemic persists, and the resulting economic and social crises are deepening. The stalemate in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has worsened the international environment, and the world pattern is developing in an increasingly fragmented direction. In other words, the world is splitting into several more fragmented blocs of national interests. These countries are not closely connected with each other and constantly face political, economic, and even military confrontation. Against the backdrop of growing international tensions, the series of initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping are particularly important and valuable

当今世界，新冠肺炎疫情带来的卫生危机仍在持续，由此引发的经济与社会危机日益深重。俄乌冲突的胶着状态使国际环境雪上加霜，世界格局正朝着一个愈加分裂的方向发展。换言之，世界正分裂成数个更加碎片化的国家利益集团，这些国家彼此之间的联系并不紧密，而且还不断面临政治、经济甚至军事上的对抗。在国际局势日渐紧张的大背景下，习近平主席提出的一系列倡议尤显重要与宝贵，特别是“一带一路”倡议、全球安全倡议和全球发展倡议。

The Belt and Road Initiative was proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013. It is based on a network of infrastructure construction projects spanning the five continents and covers multiple cooperation projects promoting social, economic, scientific, technological, and cultural development. The Belt and Road Initiative is currently the largest international cooperation project in history. It aims to promote the social development of China and other countries in the world and has played a positive role in improving the living standards of people in countries and regions facing severe development difficulties, such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In advancing this initiative, China fully emphasizes the foundations of cooperation such as voluntary participation, mutual respect, equal consultation, and openness and transparency. This stands in stark contrast to the practices of the United States and the European Union, among others. As is well known, when these Western countries handle trade agreements with other nations, problems such as colonialism, discrimination, lack of transparency, and differential treatment of members are common. For example, under the logic of colonialism, developing local or interregional infrastructure construction is seen as an “unprofitable” project. This is precisely a major highlight of the Belt and Road Initiative, reflecting the non-colonial and altruistic nature of China’s initiative. Moreover, the Belt and Road not only seeks to establish projects that directly benefit local people but also advocates that participating countries explore methods and measures to solve practical problems together with China, cooperating to jointly address the development difficulties of people around the world who still suffer from backwardness and social injustice.

“一带一路”倡议由习近平主席在2013年提出，以遍布五大洲的基础设施建设网络为基础，并且涵盖多个促进社会、经济、科技、文化发展的合作项目。“一带一路”倡议是目前历史上最大的国际合作项目，旨在促进中国与世界其他国家的社会发展，对改善非洲、亚洲和拉丁美洲等面临严峻发展困难的国家和地区人民的生活水平产生了积极作用。中国在推进该倡议时，充分强调自愿参与、互相尊重、平等协商、公开透明等合作基础。这与美国和欧盟等的做法形成了鲜明对比。众所周知，这些西方国家在处理与其他国家的贸易协定时，殖民性、歧视性、不透明和成员差别待遇等问题屡见不鲜。例如，在殖民主义逻辑下，发展当地或区域间的基础设施建设是一种“无利可图”的项目。而这恰恰是“一带一路”倡议的一大亮点，体现了中国倡议的非殖民性和利他性。而且，“一带一路”不仅寻求建立直接惠及当地民众的项目，还倡导参与国和中国一起探寻解决实际问题的方法与措施，携手合作共同应对地球上仍在遭受落后与社会不公的民众的发展困境。

Humanity has already entered a new historical stage. The Belt and Road Initiative provides an important solution for addressing severe global challenges and helps build a new international order based on the principle of peaceful coexistence. It is worth emphasizing that from its inception, the initiative has attached importance to ecological sustainable development and the promotion of renewable energy, reflecting China’s full respect for and responsibility towards the global ecological environment and sustainable development.

人类已经处于一个新的历史阶段。“一带一路”倡议为应对全球严峻挑战提供了重要方案，有助于构建一个基于和平共处原则的国际新秩序。值得强调的是，该倡议从设计之初就重视生态可持续发展和促进可再生能源，体现了中国对全球生态环境和可持续发展的充分尊重与责任担当。

A major crisis currently facing the world is that international peace and security are under serious threat. In recent years, the mentality of a new Cold War has become increasingly prominent in international relations. Influenced by this, relations between countries are becoming more and more alienated and fragmented. At the same time, those countries that do not accept the unipolar international order formed since the dissolution of the Soviet Union are constantly subjected to various provocations and direct or implicit sanctions from the Western camp led by the United States. Against this backdrop, the Global Security Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping at the Boao Forum for Asia in April 2022 is of great significance. One of the goals of this initiative is to uphold a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security. This helps the international community, based on multilateralism and in accordance with the basic principles of the UN Charter, to resolve disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation, reject double standards and unilateral sanctions, and thus effectively maintain world peace and security.

当前面临的一大危机是世界和平安全受到重大威胁。近年来，新冷战思维在国际关系中日益凸显。受其影响，国家间关系越来越疏离割裂，与此同时，那些不接受苏联解体以来形成的单极化国际秩序的国家不断遭受来自以美国为首的西方阵营的各种挑衅及直接或隐性的制裁。在此背景下，习近平主席于2022年4月在博鳌亚洲论坛上提出的全球安全倡议具有重要意义。该倡议的目标之一是坚持共同、综合、合作、可持续的安全观。这有助于国际社会基于多边主义，按照联合国宪章的基本原则，通过对话和协商解决国家间争端，拒绝双重标准和单边制裁，从而有效维护世界的和平与安全。

The Global Security Initiative calls for taking seriously the legitimate security concerns of all countries in the world, respecting the principles of global security, and building a balanced, effective, and sustainable security architecture, opposing attempts to achieve the security of one country at the expense of the security of others. The initiative calls on the international community to strengthen development cooperation and accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Furthermore, the initiative also responds to concerns about common global challenges, emphasizing the importance of cooperation in areas such as combating terrorism, addressing climate change, and promoting cybersecurity and biosecurity. Therefore, in my view, this Global Security Initiative, summarized by President Xi Jinping as the “Six Persistences” [1]1 The “Six Persistences” (六个坚持) refer to the core principles of the Global Security Initiative as outlined by President Xi Jinping: persisting in the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security; persisting in respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries; persisting in abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter; persisting in taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously; persisting in peacefully resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation; and persisting in maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains., is a feasible international initiative that responds to global concerns. It offers strategies for countries to escape the current confrontational posture that has serious consequences for all of humanity. It is another sincere contribution of Chinese wisdom to the world. Hence, this Chinese initiative should be widely disseminated globally and should attract universal attention from all countries.

全球安全倡议呼吁认真对待世界上所有国家的合理安全诉求，尊重全球安全原则，构建一个均衡、有效、可持续的安全架构，反对以牺牲他国安全为代价实现某个国家的安全的企图。倡议呼吁国际社会加强发展合作，加快落实联合国2030年可持续发展议程。此外，该倡议还回应了对全球共同面临的挑战的关切，强调在反对恐怖主义、应对气候变化、推进网络安全和生物安全等领域进行合作的重要性。因此，在我看来，这个由习近平主席概括为“六个坚持”的全球安全倡议是一个回应全球关切且具有可行性的国际倡议，为各国摆脱当前对全人类带来严重后果的对抗态势出谋划策，是中国智慧向世界提供的又一份真诚贡献。因此，这一中国倡议应当在全球范围内广泛传播，应当引起各国的普遍重视。

In September 2021, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative at the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. This initiative is inseparable from the Global Security Initiative. In other words, the necessity of jointly advancing the Global Development Initiative is directly related to the struggle to prevent the world from relapsing into a Cold War state. A Cold War will inevitably lead to alienation and confrontation between countries. Moreover, trade wars and economic sanctions are a “double-edged sword,” harming not only the interests of the sanctioned countries but also having a serious impact on the countries imposing the sanctions. Therefore, the Global Development Initiative seeks to promote multi-level and cross-field collaboration, boost scientific and technological innovation, accelerate technology transfer and knowledge sharing, and thereby improve the global governance system, with the aim of ending colonialism and the unequal relationship between rich and poor countries, and creating a fairer and more reasonable institutional environment. As President Xi Jinping stated, we should jointly foster new drivers of global development and promote stronger, greener, and healthier global development.

2021年9月，习近平主席在第七十六届联合国大会一般性辩论上提出了全球发展倡议。这一倡议和全球安全倡议密不可分。换言之，共同推进全球发展倡议的必要性与防止世界重陷冷战状态的抗争直接相关。冷战势必导致国家之间的疏离和对立，而且贸易战和经济制裁是一把“双刃剑”，不仅损害被制裁国家的利益，也会对发起制裁的国家造成严重影响。因此，全球发展倡议寻求推动多层次、跨领域的协作，促进科技创新，加快技术转让和知识共享，进而改善全球治理体系，以此终结殖民主义和富国与穷国之间的不平等关系，营造更加公平合理的制度环境。正如习近平主席所言，要共同培育全球发展新动能，推动实现更加强劲、绿色、健康的全球发展。

To a certain extent, the Global Development Initiative provides a plan for building a new model of world governance that seeks peaceful coexistence and shared well-being for humanity. Several statements by President Xi Jinping have left a deep impression on me. He emphasized, “History and reality tell us that pursuing one-sided security at the expense of others’ security will only create new conflicts and risks.” He also pointed out, “Whether a country’s human rights situation is good or not depends crucially on whether the interests of its people are safeguarded, and whether the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security is enhanced. This is the most important criterion for testing a country’s human rights situation.” Similarly, only when all people in the world live a life of dignity can we consider global security and the human rights of all humanity to be guaranteed.

某种程度而言，全球发展倡议为构建一种寻求人类和平相处、共享福祉的新型世界治理模式提供了方案。习近平主席的几段话给我留下了深刻的印象。他强调，“历史和现实告诉我们，以牺牲别国安全为代价，片面追求自身安全，只会造成新的矛盾和风险。”他还指出，“一国人权状况好不好，关键看本国人民利益是否得到维护，人民的获得感、幸福感、安全感是否得到增强，这是检验一国人权状况的最重要标准。”同理，只有当全世界人民都拥有有尊严的生活，我们才能认为全球安全和全人类的人权得到了保障。

Through a brief analysis of the three Chinese initiatives mentioned above, we can conclude that they are China’s solutions provided by President Xi Jinping and the entire Chinese people in the face of unprecedented challenges the world is experiencing. It needs to be emphasized that these Chinese initiatives are all proposed within the framework of the UN Charter and all aim to promote world peace and development. Therefore, neglect, slander, or malicious misinterpretation of China’s solutions should be condemned. The common challenges facing humanity require such people-centered, globally-oriented initiatives that seek common development to be resolved.

通过对上述三个中国倡议的简要分析，我们可以得出结论，它们是习近平主席和全体中国人民面对世界正在经历的前所未有的挑战所提供的中国方案。需要强调的是，中国的这些倡议都是在联合国宪章规定的范围内提出的，均旨在推动世界和平与发展。因此，对中国方案的忽视、污蔑或恶意曲解都应受到谴责。人类面临的共同挑战需要用这样以人为本、谋求共同发展的全球性倡议去解决。

The foreign policy of the Communist Party of China has always adhered to the two key concepts of peace and development. A rapidly developing China is not an aggressive competitor, nor a new hegemon, but a participant sincerely contributing to a better future of shared peace and progress for all humanity, an international ally attempting to achieve this goal through equal and mutually beneficial cooperation in fields such as economy, trade, science and technology, and culture. We must clearly recognize that once a “new Cold War” situation takes shape, it will inevitably hinder the establishment of good relations of equality, freedom, sovereign independence, and shared destiny among countries in the world, thereby endangering the future of all humanity. From this, we can also more deeply understand that China’s initiatives play a pivotal role in the future development of the international landscape.

一直以来，中国共产党的对外政策秉持和平与发展两个关键词。快速发展的中国，不是一个咄咄逼人的竞争者，更不是新的霸主，而是一个诚心诚意为全人类共享和平与进步的美好未来贡献力量的参与者，一个试图通过经贸、科技、文化等领域的平等互惠合作达成这一目标的国际盟友。我们必须清醒地认识到，“新冷战”的局面一旦形成，势必会阻碍世界各国构建平等自由、主权独立、休戚与共的良好关系，进而危及全人类的未来。由此，我们也能更加深刻地认识到，中国倡议对未来国际格局的发展有着举足轻重的作用。

(Author: José Luis Centella, Chairman of the Communist Party of Spain; Translator: Lou Yu, Distinguished Researcher of the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Assistant Researcher of the Institute of Latin American Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

（作者：何塞·路易斯·森特利亚，西班牙共产党主席；译者：楼宇，中国社会科学院习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心特约研究员，中国社会科学院拉丁美洲研究所助理研究员）

Online Editor: Zhang Jian

网络编辑：张剑