Muhammad Zain Tariq was impressed with the splendid landscape and the hospitality of Chinese people on his first visit as a teenager.  

At the time, Tariq traveled from his native Pakistan through the Silk Road, the ancient trade route linking China with the rest of the world.

The experience inspired him to start a business in Shenzhen, a coastal city in south China's Guangdong Province. In his nine years there, Tariq witnessed significant changes in such areas as the economy, technology and medical services. 

In 2015, thanks to the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Tariq returned home and took up a job with an IT company with a Chinese team. 

CPEC is a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that seeks to provide improved infrastructure in Pakistan alongside better trading links with China and further economic integration within Asia.  

China has always endeavored to promote common development. Data from the World Bank showed that from 2013 to 2021, China contributed an average of 38.6 percent to world economic growth, making it the biggest contributor. 

The country is dedicated to promoting a global community with a shared future. It remains firm in its commitment to multilateralism and a new type of international relations linked to its Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative. China also remains an active participant in the reform of the global governance system as part of its contribution to world peace and development.

Launched in 2013, the BRI has attracted the participation of 149 countries and 32 international organizations. 

By the end of August this year, China's trade with countries along the BRI routes was nearly $12 trillion. Many cooperation projects under the framework of BRI, such as CPEC and the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, have boosted economic activity and residents' livelihoods.

According to the World Bank, BRI transport projects are projected to lift 7.6 million people out of extreme poverty and 32 million out of moderate poverty by 2030. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says China has become an indispensable and trustworthy force for world peace and development.

Young people from different countries have been sharing their expectations of China as it blazes a trail in fostering common prosperity globally. 

Tariq expects China will expand its international cooperation in the next five years, particularly in helping developing countries create better infrastructure and industries and improve health and education. 

Katharina Kempf from Germany hopes to see more collaboration between China and her country over the next five years.

"I hope that the friendship between the two countries is going to be strengthened and there's a lot more knowledge sharing and overall teamwork between the two countries to drive innovation," Kempf says.

Philip Addington from the UK welcomes more education and business exchanges between his country and China.

"This is something that I love because that's my home country, and China is also my adopted country as well. So, I'm happy to see that relationship grow stronger in the future," he says.