Chinese Ambassador in Australia Cheng Jingye while rejecting unilateralism in world affairs has warned that 21st century is not a century in which a single nation can make all the decisions.
“In 21st century all countries are needed to discuss and deal with world affairs together”, he said while addressing the participants of the “Leaders Program” organized by Asialink at Chinese Embassy in Canberra last night.
He said economic globalization should not just benefit developed countries, but also provide opportunities for emerging economies and developing countries.
Chinese Ambassador availed the opportunity to highlight China’s ambitious Road and Belt project and criticize the Unilateralism and protectionism mind set without naming any nation.
“The world we live in is in the midst of profound changes unseen in a century, with the underlying trends towards multi-polarity, economic globalization, IT application, and cultural diversity”, he said.
Warning against another cold war era, he argued that we cannot afford to have another division of the world into two or more isolated systems on the back of political or ideological excuses.
“Different civilizations and cultures should respect and learn from each other, which will make the world a splendid and colourful place”, he added.
People from various sectors of Australia’s society, including public service, businesses, education, culture, sport and media attended the event.
Chinese leadership in recent times time and again has criticized US approach towards various issues especially towards China as Cold War mentality.
Top Chinese diplomat in Australia also raised the issue by saying that shadows cast by Cold War mentality and power politics still linger.
“There are attempts to provoke great power rivalry, or intensify geopolitical tensions with bludgeoning of sanctions. Unilateralism and protectionism are rampant and global governance systems are facing severe challenges”, he warned.
While urging to accommodate each other’s interests, and resolving conflicts and differences through dialogues, Ambassador Cheng Jingye emphasized that universal security will require all countries to work together to address security challenges and to seek common security rather than building one’s own security at the expense of other countries’ security.
“Common prosperity requires to reform the unfair systems of global economic governance and to continue narrowing the gap between the North and the South”, he said.
Ambassador Cheng Jingye spoke in length on Chinese concept of ‘’One Path’ and ‘One Platform’ for shared future.
“’One Path’, is a new type of international relations based upon the three key concepts of mutual respect of nations regardless of their size, strength, wealth, different systems, religions and civilizations, second fairness and justice and third is win-win cooperation in lieu of confrontation and monopolisation”, Cheng Jingye told the participants.
Without naming US, he pleaded to solve the problems of the world through multilateralism and global cooperation, instead of protectionism, isolationism and unilateralism.
Referring the ‘One platform’ he mentioned that this approach is meant to build the Belt and Road in partnership.
“The Belt and Road is not a so-called geopolitical tool, but a mutually beneficial and a win-win collaborative platform and its circle of Friends has been expanding. 127 countries and 29 international organizations have already signed cooperation documents with China, including major industrial countries such as Italy, as well as New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu and other South Pacific countries”, he told the gathering.
Rejecting the notion of Belt and Road Initiative as a “debt trap”, he said no one is in a better position to tell the truth than the countries directly involved.
“Over the last 6 years, the total volume of trade between China and other Belt and Road participating countries, has surpassed 6 trillion US dollars, with more than 80 billion US dollars having been invested and nearly 300 thousand local jobs created in some 82 overseas jointly-built cooperation zones”, he reminded.
Inviting Australia to join the Belt and Road Initiative, he said with its unique advantages in many areas, Australia can play a positive role in Belt and Road cooperation. This will not only benefit Australia, bust also be conducive to strengthening the bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
Ambassador Cheng Jingye also highlighted the major reforms introduced by the Chinese government towards liberal market and informed that China is hosting the second China International Import Expo this year, enabling countries all over the world to enjoy the dividends of China’s opening-up.
On bilateral relations between China and Australia, he said these relations have brought about real and substantial benefits to the peoples of both countries.
“China and Australia share an abundance of common interests, and it’s my firm belief that increasing trust and deepening cooperation will bring even greater benefits to both sides”, he added.
He was of the view that sound and strong bilateral relation requires the firm commitment of both governments.
China rise has given hope for multipolar world
I’d like to believe that China is really doing this for the benefit of everyone involved, or “win-win” as they keep saying. But man’s history teaches that people have a natural tendency to use their power to advance their own position at the expense of the weak. So I guess we’ll have to wait and see what China does.