The just concluded annual conference of Boao Forum for Asia is the first such meeting since China's commitment to building a community with a shared future for mankind was written into the country's Constitution last month. [Special coverage]
The vision, together with China's proposal to build "a new type of international relations", represents the country's effort to search for the answer to a simple question: What kind of future does humanity wish to create?
In his keynote speech at the opening of the conference on Tuesday, President Xi Jinping further explained the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, which is characterized by treating each other with respect and as equals, promoting dialogue and sharing responsibility, engaging in cooperation for win-win results, upholding inclusiveness and seeking harmony without uniformity, as well as treating nature with respect and treasuring the planet.
He called for people around the world to work together toward a community with a shared future for mankind and to make Asia and the world peaceful, prosperous, open and beautiful.
The vision has increasingly gained consensus worldwide. On March 23, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted the resolution titled "Promoting Mutually Beneficial Cooperation in the Field of Human Rights" by a vote of 28 in favor, one against and 17 abstentions.
The resolution supports the fostering of international relations based on mutual respect, fairness, justice and mutually beneficial cooperation, with the aim of building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Yu Jianhua, head of the Chinese mission to the UN, introduced the resolution to the council, saying, "We live on the same planet, share common interests and face the same challenges, and we have become an interdependent community with a shared future."
Liu Huawen, a researcher of international law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the adoption of the China-sponsored resolution shows that the country's wisdom is playing an important role internationally.
"Chinese efforts in human rights protection have been recognized and have received support from more countries," he said.
Visionary proposal
The proposal of building a community was put forward by Xi in March 2013, when he spoke at Moscow State Institute of International Relations during his first trip overseas as president. Human society is becoming a community of a shared future, Xi said in his speech.
During annual conferences of the Boao Forum for Asia from 2013 to 2015, Xi proposed to create the mentality of a community with a shared future, march to a community with a shared future, build a community with a shared future for Asia and build a community with a shared future for mankind.
On Jan 18, 2017, Xi made a keynote speech at the United Nations Office at Geneva titled Work Together to Build a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind, offering China's solutions to cope with global challenges.
"Building a community with a shared future is an exciting goal, and it requires efforts from generation after generation," Xi said. "China is ready to work with all the other UN member states as well as international organizations and agencies to advance the great cause of building a community with a shared future for mankind."
The president's speech drew strong and positive feedback from the international community. A month later, the Chinese concept of building "a human community with a shared destiny" was incorporated into a UN resolution for the first time at the 55th UN Commission for Social Development.
While delivering a speech at the closing meeting of the first session of the 13th National People's Congress in March, Xi said that China will contribute more Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions and Chinese strength to the world and push for building an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.
"Let the sunshine of a community with a shared future for humanity illuminate the world," Xi said.
