In an interview with CGTN at Boao Forum, Ban Ki-moon, chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia, invoked the wisdom of the Chinese idiom "同舟共济" (tong zhou gong ji), which translates to "cross a river in the same boat," to remind political leaders of its significance. 

Similar to rowing a boat, success requires all parties to pull in unison toward a common direction. Beyond party lines, leaders must unite for the nation's and people's greater good, he explained.