Series on Chinas Belt and Road Initiative
Print ISSN: 2591-7730
Online ISSN: 2591-7749
Series Editors:ZHENG Yongnian (National University of Singapore, Singapore)
Kerry BROWN (Kings College London, UK)
WANG Yiwei (Renmin University of China, China)
LIU Weidong (Chinese Academy of Sciences, China)
This book series showcases the most up-to-date and significant research on Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by leading scholars from inside and outside China. It presents a panoramic view on the BRI, from the perspectives of Chinas domestic policy, Chinas foreign investment, international relations, cultural cooperation and historical inheritance. As the first English book series on the BRI, this series offers a valuable English-language resource for researchers, policymakers, professionals and students to better understand the challenges and opportunities brought by the BRI.
Published:
Vol. 5 Chinas Belt and Road Initiative and Building the Community of Common Destiny
edited by WANG Linggui and ZHAO Jianglin
Vol. 4 Belt and Road Initiative: Chinese Version of Marshall Plan?
by FENG Da-Hsuan and LIANG Hai Ming
Vol. 3 Silk Road: The Study of Drama Culture
by LI Qiang
translated by GAO Fen
Vol. 2 Chinas Belt and Road: The Initiative and Its Financial Focus
by YU Xugang, Cristiano RIZZI, Mario TETTAMANTI, Fabio E. ZICCARDI and GUO Li
Vol. 1 The Political Economy of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative
by ZOU Lei
translated by ZHANG Zhiping
Published by
World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
5 Toh Tuck Link, Singapore 596224
USA office: 27 Warren Street, Suite 401-402, Hackensack, NJ 07601
UK office: 57 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9HE
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Wang, Linggui, editor. | Zhao, Jianglin, editor.
Title: Chinas belt and road initiative and building the community of common destiny / edited by Linggui Wang (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China) and Jianglin Zhao (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China).
Description: New Jersey : World Scientific, [2019] | Series: Series on Chinas belt and road initiative, vol. 5.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019008593 | ISBN 9789813278714 (hc : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Regional economics--China--21st century. | Economic development--China. | Infrastructure (Economics)--China. | Transportation--China. | China--Foreign economic relations--21st century.
Classification: LCC HC427.95 .C45554 2019 | DDC 382/.30951--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019008593
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Sponsored by B&R Book Program
Copyright 2019 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without written permission from the publisher.
For photocopying of material in this volume, please pay a copying fee through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. In this case permission to photocopy is not required from the publisher.
For any available supplementary material, please visit
https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/11224#t=suppl
Desk Editors: Anthony Alexander/Ser Kei Vong
Typeset by Stallion Press
Email:
Printed in Singapore
Preface
The National Institute for Global Strategy (NIGS) of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and University of International Relations jointly held the International Think Tank Forum was held from 18th to 19th November 2016 in Beijing. The theme of the forum is Building the Community of Common Destiny between China and Its Neighbors: Challenges and the Future. After the event, participants made further explorations into the theme of the forum. This review volume is the selection of these further studies and represents the outcome of joint study by NIGS and major foreign think tanks.
Recently, while exchanging ideas with foreign think tank scholars, I was surprised by one of them who mentioned two facts. He said that, the world at large, especially those developed economies, have formed their impression of China from different materials and sources, 80% to 85% of which was written or reported in English by scholars from western countries. Conversely, among Chinas materials and sources for learning about neighbouring countries, 85% to 90% of them are from the similar origin, which is quite narrow. As one think tank that supplies products of policy studies, if we refer to homogeneous sources for research, will they help us learn about other countries and serve for formulating foreign policies? Will they help us reach more consensuses and increase mutual interests? The answer is negative. The foundation of diversified civilizations is the diversification of thoughts and ideas, because humans mind always craves for various knowledge and truths.
The idea Community of Common Destiny has been mentioned by Chinese President Xi Jinping in various major events and the concept of Raising Awareness about Human Beings Sharing a Community of Common Destiny has been elaborated in details. Dating back to May 2014, on the 4th Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, President Xi addressed that Asia today is home to 67% of the worlds population and accounts for one third of the global economy, that Peace and development of Asia is closely connected with the future of the mankind, and Asias stability and revival is the blessing of peace and development of the world, and Asian countries should jointly build a road for security of Asia that is shared by and winwin to all. In March of the following year, President Xi delivered a speech titled Towards a Community of Common Destiny and A New Future for Asia at the opening ceremony of Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference. During the speech, President Xi indicated that community of common destiny was the new future for Asia and he believed that as long as China and other Asian countries kept their goal and work together, they would bring about common prosperity.
Facing the fast changing international and regional landscapes, we must see the whole picture, follow the trend of our times and jointly build a community of common destiny, which is not all about sharing common interest, but also include of sharing responsibility. In that sense, building a community of common destiny does not equal to establishing an institutional arrangement that transcends ethnicity and nation. By establishing acknowledgement of interest and obligation among Asian countries on the foundation of mutual beneficial cooperation, we can have the opportunity to build winwin and multi-win partnership from in-depth interaction. Aiming at co-consultation, co-construction, sharing, and co-prosperity, the Chinese government is making great effort to advance the development of Asian Community of Common Destiny that embraces toleration, interaction and integration.
When it comes to Asia, it has been known that this continent is home to multiple cultures, whose coexistence have been relying on mutual respect and tolerance. Over the past several decades, Asian countries have gradually transcended their differences in ideology and social system. Mutual trust and toleration, accumulated throughout the history, allow us to resolve serious crisis and tackle major challenges, and serve as the theoretical and practical foundation for joint studies on Community of Common Destiny. Today, we propose the establishment of Community of Common Destiny is not only because the interests of Asian countries become intertwined, but also need a new dynamic to be explored for countries to coexist in this multi-polar world. The theories and practices learned from the establishment of Asian Community of Common Destiny may well form a new example for resolving conflicts worldwide which is also likely to be a public model.
