If the world is a classroom, every student deserves a say

World
Europe

03:52

Imagine the world is a big classroom with different tiers of students. Some students have been doing very well, like developed countries, led by a big, tall buddy called the US. The other tier, made up of developing countries, is led by China.

Within this tier, there are a few who have made remarkable progress and bonded more closely together. Let’s say, they are the BRICS countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

Now they are meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, together with their friends and neighbors, who are all trying to catch up with the top of the class.

For some time now, the relationship between the two tiers has been strenuous. In President Xi’s words, changes unseen in a century are unfolding. The relationship between the two leading students of the two tiers, namely the US and China, has been particularly challenged.

Feeling threatened, the big buddy accused the newcomer of cheating and is getting physical. The classroom’s big buddy has become a big bully, and tension is in the air.

So, how should you react to this? The newcomer has his own views and suggestions, and President Xi laid them out on Wednesday in Johannesburg.

To his fellow BRICS peers, President Xi called for unity. When the big buddy wants to protect his relative advantage at all costs, the rest of the students must make sure the classroom stays open for learning, exchanging ideas, and growth.

Unless more exchange in areas such as trade and investments are facilitated, the performance gap will grow even wider.

There are new ways to catch up faster, Xi said, boosted by new technologies and innovation. He suggested BRICS countries must catch that wave and leapfrog. They should do a better job at home and make themselves better innovators. He cautioned, “Facing the new wave, those who don’t catch the tide will be left behind.”

Xi also hinted to the first-tier students who see innovation as their monopoly: In the face of new opportunities brought by new technologies, every student has an equal right to development. More technological exchanges should be organized so that everybody can give it a shot.

To friends and neighbors of BRICS, Xi pledged to help them fully participate in school activities and the division of labor, so that they can also do better. China’s efforts to help African counterparts should be a model for students who wish to help one another. Xi received a warm round of applause for this.

To the first-tier students, President Xi also had some explicit messages, which he has repeated on many occasions, but can never be stressed enough. Although the current order of things in the classroom is not ideal, Xi said, it is not useless.

China and its peers have thrived under this exact system and now what they seek are equal rights in the management of classroom affairs, and that their views are consulted and their say is proportional.

As to the big, tall buddy who has been tearing up the rule book and acting just as he wishes, Xi gave a warning. Don’t do that. We will all get hurt because I will be forced to protect myself and strike back.

By the way, the first-tier students are not just sitting idle. You’ve probably heard that the EU and Japan, for instance, have reached a free trade agreement, and that a potential deal is being struck between the EU and the US to abolish their mutual tariffs.

Whether or not the deal can be pulled off, the heat is on. President Xi’s call for the BRICS nations and their friends and neighbors to huddle closer could not have been more timely, as winter could be coming for everyone.

Thanks for watching. As usual, you can follow me on Facebook and Twitter at the handle @thepointwithlx. You’ve got the point.