Taking inspiration from the friendly emissaries of the ancient Silk Road

In his opening address to the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on Sunday, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke of the need for harmonious coexistence, saying there is a “deficit” in peace, development and governance that needs to be overcome.

At an important juncture such as this, it serves us well to reflect on how we got here before we think about how to move forward. The prosperity of developed nations, which is celebrated as a characteristic of their “advancement”, was built on militarism and colonization. The greed and self-serving agendas of many of today’s developed nations have left them fighting among themselves over the most trivial of things.

China stands ready to drive the development of Asia, Europe and Africa, with an agenda based on the spirit of the ancient Silk Road, which embodies peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit.

“We find ourselves in a world fraught with challenges. Global growth requires new drivers, development needs to be more inclusive and balanced, and the gap between the rich and the poor needs to be narrowed,” Xi told the forum.

Conflict has emerged on so many levels in modern times. Countries are literally being torn apart by violence, terrorism and poverty. On one side stand those which are ready to open their hearts and minds to a better future, while on the other huddle those who would close their borders and lock themselves in a dark room, blaming everyone for their ills except themselves.

We find ourselves in a world fraught with challenges. Global growth requires new drivers, development needs to be more inclusive and balanced, and the gap between the rich and the poor needs to be narrowed.