Keywords to Understand China

Keywords are one of the best ways to understand a country. In China, with the rapid development in different areas, the keywords keep changing. Chinafrica presents a selection of prevailing keywords to help readers understand China better.

and a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road - was unveiled by President Xi Jinping during his visits to Central and Southeast Asia in September and October 2013. It was a strategic decision taken by the central leadership as part of a new process of further opening up to the outside world. The initiative focuses on policy coordination, connectivity of infrastructure and facilities, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and strengthened people-to-people ties through a consultative process and joint efforts, with the goal of bringing benefits to all. It aims to build a community with shared interests and responsibility with a shared future. The Belt and Road will be a path to peace, prosperity and openness through innovative programs and friendly engagement. Over the past seven years, more than 100 countries and international organizations have expressed support for the initiative and participated in related activities. The UN General Assembly and Security Council have also made reference to the initiative in some of their resolutions. The vision of the Belt and

Road is gradually being translated into action, and success stories have begun to emerge.

Upholding Justice While Pursuing Shared Interests

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, President Xi Jinping has on many occasions emphasized the importance of upholding justice and pursuing shared interests in our foreign relations. This reflects our values. China hopes to see widely shared prosperity across the world and, in particular, accelerated development in developing countries. The pursuit of shared interest should be aligned with the need to search for mutual benefit, rather than being turned into a zero-sum game. China has the obligation to provide assistance to poor countries within the limits of its own resources. It is sometimes necessary to work for the justice at the expense of self-interest and fulfill this obligation despite an unfavorable calculus in financial terms. A healthy approach to the relationship between upholding justice and pursuing shared interest is a principled approach that values friendship, adheres to moral standards, refuses to succumb to the temptations of greed, encourages us to seek gain only when the justice is not adversely affected, and embraces a readiness to sacrifice self-interest for the justice when need arises. This approach is grounded in traditional Chinese culture and our foreign policy thinking, and embodies the values we cherish. It has won praise from the international community in general and from developing counties in particular. It is a manifestation of China’s soft power.

The Principle of Sincerity, Real Results, Affinity and Good Faith

In his speech in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in March 2013, President Xi Jinping elaborated on Sino-african relations and China’s Africa policy. China has a sincere desire to build strong ties with its African friends. Solidarity and cooperation with African countries has always been an important element of China’s foreign policy. Cooperation with Africa has been and will continue to be results-oriented. China will honor every commitment it makes to Africa. Efforts will be made to expand people-to-people exchanges, especially youth exchange programs, so that our friendship can be passed on to younger generations. We will always act in good faith in addressing problems that might occur in our relations with Africa. New developments and issues relating to our bilateral relations will be discussed frankly and dealt with on the basis of mutual respect and through mutually beneficial cooperation. This principle has become an important practice in the cooperation between China and other developing countries.

Promoting Global Governance Reform

At a meeting marking the

60th anniversary of the

Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence on June 28,

2014, President Xi Jinping highlighted the need to reform global governance in response to new changes in international power dynamics. As we face a wider array of global challenges, it is ever more necessary to enhance and reform global governance. In addition to addressing existing challenges, such reform is critical to reshaping the international order and setting its rules and direction. It is about how countries are positioned and expected to play their roles under an international order and an international institutional framework from a long-term perspective. A global governance structure is underpinned by power dynamics at the international level.

Its reform is necessitated by changes in global power relations. The governance structure should be jointly built by all countries for the benefit of all, rather than dominated by any one country. China participates in and contributes to the existing international order, promotes international cooperation and multilateralism, and actively participates in multilateral initiatives. Our willingness to contribute to the innovative development of the concept of global governance is rooted in our culture, one that advocates a positive approach to life and proactive governance philosophy. We are ready to share our thoughts and do what is needed to help improve global governance. Based on its prevailing national conditions as a developing country, China will seek the right balance between rights and obligations, and protect its own national interests in conjunction with the shared interests of other developing countries. We will pursue an open, transparent and inclusive process to strengthen consultation and coordination with other G20 members, to make the G20 framework more responsive and more relevant, and to ensure its successful transition from a crisis management mechanism to a major platform for global economic governance. CA