Interview: Chinese path to modernization conducive to sustainable global development: expert

ADDIS ABABA, May 1 (Xinhua) -- China is pursuing a model of modernization that has not been seen before, characterized by a huge population and common prosperity for all in sync with material and cultural-ethical progress, and envisioning ultimate peaceful and sustainable development for mankind, an Ethiopian expert has said.

China's approach to modernization and high-quality development embedded with a scientific foundation and in harmony with nature offers far-reaching impetus to global development in a more sustainable and peaceful manner, Melaku Mulualem, senior international relations and diplomacy researcher at the Ethiopian Institute of Strategic Affairs, said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

"China took different initiatives (to achieve its aspirations), including the Global Security Initiative and the Global Development Initiative. The Belt and Road Initiative is also essential, and many countries are benefiting from projects under it," Mulualem said.

Mulualem said the international community, particularly African countries and the rest of the developing world, can tap China's successful experience in its path toward modernization in a way that assures peaceful development as well as harmony between humans and nature, and alleviates absolute poverty.

"China has already shown that it can manage common prosperity for its huge population. It works to make development more sustainable and realize peaceful development, or to develop in partnership with other countries rather than to prosper at the expense of other countries. China is also working to bring about peace for the world at large," he said.

The expert added that China's successes in its modernization drive are mainly attributed to its well-tailored development approaches across all dimensions.

"To develop with this huge population is not an easy task. It needs a lot of activities to be done -- to expand education, to expand innovation, to expand peace in the region and the world at large," the expert said.

"Africa can learn a lot from China. One of the plans is peaceful development, and Africa needs peace to develop. The other one is harmony between nature and humans, which is also important for Africa," he added.