2018 Reporters' look back: China's year in global leadership

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There have been four major diplomatic events in China this year, and I was lucky to have the honor of covering all of them. With China and the world undergoing dramatic and unprecedented changes, reporting on such events feels like witnessing the first draft of history-making moments.

Despite the fact that each event had a different theme, focus and attendees, there's something in common that was shared: China's commitment to further opening up and taking concrete steps in building a community of shared future for mankind.

On that front, China not only talked the talk, but also walked the walk.

Boao Forum for Asia

I remember the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference was held amid a raft of protectionist policies from the U.S. and the resulting global trade tensions. The expectations were high before the forum that China would send out a positive message, not just on values and principles but practical and specific measures to further advance its economic and social development.

And China really did.

Right to left: Yi Gang, governor of the People's Bank of China (PBOC); Jim Stone, chief executive officer and chairman of Plymouth Rock Co.; Craig Meller, chief executive officer of AMP Ltd.; Li Jiange, vice chairman of Central Huijin Investment Ltd.; Kazumasa Iwata, president of the Japan Center for Economic Research; and John Micklethwait, editor-in-chief of Bloomberg News, at a panel discussion at the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Boao, China's Hainan Province, April 11, 2018. /VCG Photo

At the opening ceremony, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that the country would significantly broaden market access, create a more attractive investment environment, strengthen protection of intellectual property rights and take efforts to expand imports.

He also carried out new initiatives that include easing foreign equity restrictions in the automobile, ship and aircraft industries, and implementing across the board a management system based on pre-establishment national treatment and a negative list.

Such moves were not only well received among delegates at the forum, but also gained international applause.

SCO Summit

Delegates of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states attend a signing ceremony during the SCO Summit in Qingdao, China's Shandong Province, June 10, 2018. /VCG Photo

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit was one of the most memorable events that I covered, with an unexpected yet simple reason that it took place in my hometown Qingdao, a dynamic coastal city in the eastern part of China.

It was the first time for my hometown to host a major diplomatic event, and it was also the first SCO summit since its expansion when India and Pakistan were accepted as full members at the Astana summit in Kazakhstan in 2017.

The inclusion of the two countries means the bloc now covers over 20 percent of all land on the planet, 25 percent of global GDP, and nearly half of the world's entire population. It is also expected to infuse fresh vigor into the group's future development, though there were concerns that the expansion may hinder the SCO's ability to act decisively.

However, the summit declaration reflected the new consensus reached, and the other positive outcomes clearly indicate that the expansion is not dragging down the organization's efficiency at this stage.

And it's true that any multilateral grouping like SCO that is looking to grow and retain its influence must stand the test of time and change to develop into a comprehensive regional organization with enough weight to tip global scales.

Forum on China-Africa Cooperation

And then there was the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Since we were children, we've been familiar with the expression that China and lots of African countries call each other brothers. And many African delegates I met at the forum told me the summit was more like a grand family gathering.

Attendees at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation take photos in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, September 3, 2018. /VCG Photo

And what awaits them is the transformation of this time-honored friendship into driving forces to boost solidarity and mutual prosperity, to make sure their people, governments, and even other countries around the world can enjoy the tangible benefits from their enhanced ties.

During the forum, President Xi Jinping unveiled eight major initiatives in fields like industrial acceleration, infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation, green development for the next three years and beyond, with the hope that these moves could help to build a closer community with a shared future for China and Africa.

Moreover, to ensure the successful implementation of the initiatives, China promised to provide Africa with 60 billion U.S. dollars. The financial matters, like the visions of China, all received a warm welcome from African leaders at the event.

China International Import Expo

And finally, there came the last major diplomatic event: China's first-ever import expo. It was where I walked the longest distance throughout one week due to the gigantic size of the exhibition halls.

The China International Import Expo (CIIE) closed in Shanghai, November 10, 2018. /VCG Photo‍

Having covered numerous events for nearly 10 years, this import expo is undoubtedly the biggest business match-making occasion I've ever seen. Deals worth about 58 billion U.S. dollars were concluded and the expo proved to be a fruitful and efficient platform to make businesses and cooperation happen.

And maybe the best description of the expo came from one buyer I interviewed, who's also the China head of a global e-commerce platform: "This is a world, every country comes here, they bring their best products, service, their vision about the next generation here. We can work together to support the Chinese market."

American author Robert Jordan once said, "The wheel of time turns, and ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend." I feel grateful that my job provides me with numerous valuable opportunities to witness personally so many events that play a role in shaping the future of China.

It might be hard to sense the coming and going of the ages in one of the world's fastest growing economies, but the memories left by those "Chinese moments" have truly left legendary memories in my 2018 yearbook.