Xi stresses people-to-people bonds

President Xi Jinping meets with foreign guests attending the China International Friendship Conference and events marking the 70th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in Beijing on Friday. (HUANG JINGWEN/XINHUA)

President Xi Jinping laid out a compelling vision on Friday for China to bolster friendship and exchanges with people from various countries, emphasizing the power of people-to-people diplomacy in jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Speaking to about 200 foreign dignitaries at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xi underscored people-to-people friendship as the foundation for stable and long-lasting ties between countries and also as an inexhaustible driving force for promoting world peace and development.

"The relations between nations lie in the affinity between their peoples — this is a principle I have always upheld," he told the dignitaries, who are attending the China International Friendship Conference and commemorative events marking the 70th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

Xi praised the foreign guests for their long-standing contributions to fostering friendly relations with China, saying that the achievements of the People's Republic of China over the past 75 years have been inseparable from the support from around the world.

As the world stands at an important crossroads with the fate of humanity increasingly intertwined, he emphasized that the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind is the way forward.

The president put forward a three-pronged approach to strengthening people-to-people ties.

It is important to forge a wideranging consensus on building a community with a shared future for mankind by embracing the spirit of acting together for the common good on the same planet, he said.

Xi reiterated the importance of upholding the common values of humanity — peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom — and advocating for a multipolar world that is equal and orderly, as well as for inclusive and equitable economic globalization.

The shared planet of humankind should be developed into a peaceful, harmonious and cohesive global family, he said.

The president made an appeal for gathering strong momentum to promote the construction of a community with a shared future through the concept of win-win cooperation.

China does not seek modernization in isolation, but welcomes more international friends to actively participate in the process of Chinese modernization, he stressed.

Xi underscored Beijing's readiness to "paint a grand picture of promoting a community with a shared future for mankind" with an open and inclusive mindset.

He called for joint efforts to practice the Global Civilization Initiative, enhance understanding, deepen friendships, and transcend civilizational divides with exchanges, overcoming conflicts through mutual learning among civilizations.

The president concluded his remarks by reaffirming support for the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in playing its unique role in advancing people-to-people friendship and enhancing global pragmatic cooperation.

Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo said at the gathering that Xi's advocacy for building a community with a shared future for mankind "reflects China's visionary approach to global governance and demonstrates the nation's active responsibility and commitment to international affairs".

He expressed deep appreciation for Xi's steadfast support for global cooperation and multilateralism. "Your leadership has not only laid a solid foundation for China's continual rise and development, but has also provided significant momentum for global peace and stability."

Ante Simonic, former deputy prime minister of Croatia, expressed particular appreciation for China's position that all countries, big or small, are equal members of the global community.

"We are gathering here today with a shared commitment to making (the) world better than it is today, a world based on mutual benefits, win-win (cooperation) and friendship," he said in an interview.

Elyn MacInnis, a cultural expert from the United States who worked and lived in China for 30 years, told China Daily she completely agrees with Xi on his proposal of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

"I think of it as creating a community where people share things, and that will give us a future. Without that we won't have a future. ... We need to learn how to be good friends and share," she said.

Tony Joseph, vice-chairman of the Muscatine-China Initiatives Committee in the US state of Iowa, said he understands why Xi talks about people-to-people diplomacy, and that he expects more Chinese students to visit the US.

"Get to know people individually one on one, get individual families one on one, and then relationships blossom and friendship blossoms. But it takes time, and you need these exchanges of students both ways," he said.