Peace, development, and cooperation, this is a world with unprecedented opportunities. Poverty, illness, and conflicts, this is also a world with unprecedented challenges.

So how can people find a way to better realize sustainable development? "To build a community with a shared future of mankind" - this is a proposal put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping. In September, 2015, the Chinese leader delivered a keynote speech at the General Debate of the 70th Sessions of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, in which President Xi has elaborated this idea in details. 

In his speech titled "Working Together to Build New Partnership of Win-Win Cooperation and to Build a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind" at the UN headquarters in 2015, President Xi said: "We should build partnerships in which countries treat each other as equals, engage in extensive consultation, and enhance mutual understanding. The principle of sovereign equality underpins the Charter of the United Nations. The future of the world must be shaped by all countries."

One of the core values of the notion "building a community with a share future of mankind" is to safeguard multilateralism and reject unilateralism. President Xi said in his speech that the international community should adopt a new vision of seeking positive outcomes for all, and reject the outdated mindset of zero-sum game or winner-takes all.

"If a country always plays the zero-sum game and carries the Cold War mentality, it will overstate its own interests and ignore the interests of other countries," said Su Xiaohui, deputy director of the Department of International and Strategic Studies at China Institute of International Studies.

On October 18, 2017, the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated the notion of "building a community of shared future for mankind", in which he also pointed out how China would do to realize this idea. The Chinese leader noted: "We must stay on the path of peaceful development, and continue to pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up. China will continue its efforts to safeguard world peace, contribute to global development, and uphold international order." Under this notion of "building a community of shared future for mankind", Xi calls on world powers to promote open, innovative and balanced development that benefits all.

"If mutual benefits and win-win cooperation could be achieved, exchanges among countries will become more harmonious. Nations could go in the same direction in building a community of a shared future for mankind. Global development will be more conducive to people's livelihood," said Su. 

Another key idea in the notion of "building a community of a shared future for mankind" is to increase inter-civilization exchanges to promote harmony, inclusiveness, and respect for differences. The notion of "building a community of a shared future for mankind" also lays stress on protecting our ecosystem and to put Mother Nature first. After several years of development, China has dedicated itself to pursuing a low-carbon, circular, green and sustainable development. Experts say China has been closely communicating over climate change issues with European countries. And the country is earnest in fulfilling its commitments on emission reduction. 

"Building a community of a shared future for mankind" is a philosophy raised by China, but it belongs to the world. As an ancient Chinese adage goes, "When the Great Way rules, the land under Heaven belongs to the people", which means when the leadership takes fairness and wise governance, all people could pursue better lives together. Chinese President Xi Jinping noted in his keynote speech at Geneva in 2017 that "Pass on the torch of peace from generation to generation, sustain development and make civilization flourish: this is what people of all countries long for; it is also the responsibility statesmen of our generation ought to shoulder."