NCP leader Andy Brooks, along with Robert Laurie and John Maryon from the Central Committee of the New Communist Party, joined hundreds of other representatives from political parties and movements from around the world last week at an online seminar organised by the Communist Party of China in Beijing.
` The meeting was opened by Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of the People’s Republic of China. He was then followed by other leaders of the Global South including President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro as well as the presidents of Serbia and South Sudan and senior government figures from Grenada, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Timor Leste and Togo,
Leaders of over 500 political parties and organisations from more than 150 countries attended the Communist Party of China in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting on 15th March. Together, they discussed the important theme of the Path Towards Modernisation: the Responsibility of Political Parties.
The initiative calls for respect for the diversity of civilisations, upholding the common values of humanity in pursuing peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, and promoting robust international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.
In his opening remarks Comrade Xi Jinping gave Chinese answers to a series of thought-provoking questions such as "what kind of modernisation do we need and how can we achieve it”.
"As our own future is closely connected with that of other countries and peoples, we will strive to provide new opportunities for world development, add new impetus to humanity's exploration of paths towards modernisation and make new contributions to the theory and practice of humanity's modernisation as we make new progress in Chinese modernisation", Xi said.
Noting that the history of human development is full of twists and turns and that the path to modernisation is also arduous, Xi said that “in today’s world, multiple challenges and crises are intertwined. The global economic recovery remains sluggish, the development gap is widening, ecological environment is deteriorating, and the Cold War mentality is lingering,” meaning that we are once again at a crossroads of history.
We must put the people first and ensure modernisation is people-centred. The ultimate goal of modernisation is the people’s free and well-rounded development. “Modernisation is not only about indicators and statistics on the paper but more about the delivery of a happy and stable life for the people.”
We must uphold the principle of independence and explore diversified paths towards modernisation. Each country must consider its own national conditions and unique features. “It is the people of a country that are in the best position to tell what kind of modernisation best suits them. Developing countries have the right and ability to independently explore the modernisation path with their distinctive features based on their national realities.”
We must uphold fundamental principles and break new ground. “We should work together to reform and develop the global governance system and make the international order more just and equitable as we advance humanity’s modernization in an environment of equal rights, equal opportunities and fair rules for all.” Xi added that we must help others to succeed while seeking our own success. “We stand firmly opposed to the practice of preserving one’s own development privilege by suppressing and containing other countries’ endeavour to achieve modernisation”.
The Chinese leader noted that “the journey of over 100 years that the Party has traversed to unite and lead the Chinese people in pursuing national rejuvenation is also an exploration of a path towards modernisation.
“Chinese modernisation is one of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature, and of peaceful development,” adding: “We will stay committed to the right direction, right theories and the right path. We will not veer off course by changing our nature or abandoning our system...
“China will neither tread the old path of colonisation and plunder, nor the crooked path taken by some countries to seek hegemony once they grow strong… we firmly oppose hegemony and power politics in all their forms…
“The world does not need a new Cold War. The practice of stoking division and confrontation in the name of democracy is in itself a violation of the spirit of democracy…
“no matter what level of development China achieves, it will never seek hegemony or expansion...there are bound to be setbacks on humanity’s journey to modernisation, but the future is bright”.
In the history of humanity, over thousands of years, various civilisations have come into being, developed, and have in return promoted the overall development of human society. Diversity has been a prominent feature of civilisations.
In spite of differences in histories, cultures, political systems and development phases, countries around the world share the common aspiration for peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom – the common values of humanity.
People need to keep an open mind in appreciating how different civilisations perceive values, and refrain from imposing their own values or models on others, and from stoking ideological confrontation.
As the world is facing old and new challenges, there are more reasons for us to promote dialogue and consultation when addressing international issues, and to let cultural exchanges transcend estrangement, mutual learning transcend clashes, and coexistence transcend feelings of superiority.
Spanning thousands of miles, the ancient Silk Road embodied the spirit of cooperation, mutual learning and mutual benefit. The year 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of a new “Silk Road” – China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), another project for the benefit of the masses which has brought tangible benefits to the people of the participating countries and promoted people-to-people exchanges.
The diversity of civilisations is in nature a source of vitality and momentum in human development. Promoting people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning is of great value in summoning the enormous wisdom and energy needed to advance the progress and development of human civilisations.
The BRI has delivered fruitful outcomes and won widespread support and participation. It has created jobs, improved infrastructure and promoted common development, especially in the developing countries.
Security is the precondition for development. The Global Security Initiative calls for peacefully resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation, and supporting all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of crises.
The recent Saudi Arabia-Iran dialogue in Beijing is a successful case of the practice of the Global Security Initiative, leading to the resumption of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The future of all countries are closely and increasingly connected. And tolerance, coexistence, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilisations play an irreplaceable role in advancing humanity's modernisation process.
To realise a world with lasting peace and ever-improving welfare, we should embrace the Global Civilisation Initiative and draw on it to jointly create a better, shared future for humanity.
Or as Xi Jinping says “a single flower does not make spring, while one hundred flowers in full blossom bring spring to the garden. Together, we can make the garden of world civilisations full of colours and life”.
No comments:
Post a Comment