Summary: The European Union calls China a "systemic competitor", but China has never engaged in institutional export, but Western countries often impose their own values and social systems on others. In fact, exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations between China and Western countries are an important part of human history, and although the two countries are very different in terms of culture, politics, economic and social systems, dialogue is not impossible. China's vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) have provided countries around the world with a path of peaceful coexistence and common prosperity.
Author: Marcelo Muñoz Founder and Honorary President of the Spanish Zhihua Lecture Hall and President of the Spanish Association of Entrepreneurs in China.
In terms of outlook on life, ideology, politics, and economy, China and the West are two very different civilizations that are far from each other. To some extent, the mutual understanding between the two sides is only superficial, and in today's great changes unseen in a century, the differences between the two sides seem to be even more pronounced.
Nevertheless, is it possible to overcome all odds and build an "alliance of civilizations", as the United Nations calls it? Or I would prefer to put it another way: can we expect a dialogue between the two civilizations?
From the perspective of the West, such a dialogue seems impossible, because the United States aspires to contain China economically, commercially, scientifically and technologically, while the European Union is suspicious of China as a so-called "systemic competitor". At the same time, however, both the United States and the European Union are engaged in large-scale meetings with China, and there has been no interruption in the meetings between representatives of China, the United States and Europe at many major summits and various bilateral and international conferences.
The reality speaks for itself: containing China, the "Asian giant" in the West's mouth, seems so politically naïve. How can a nation, which accounts for about 20% of the total number of human beings, has its own views on labor, society, economy, education, and multilateralism, and is committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind, be contained?
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Moreover, what does "institutional competition" mean? Is it one side that wants to impose its own system on the other? China has never wanted to impose its system on the people of other countries, and it does not intend to do so now. As China's leaders once emphasized, "China is not and will not be a superpower." However, the European Union and the United States insist that Western-style liberal democracy is a universal paradigm that can be applied everywhere, and they are prone to impose sanctions on China because it does not follow the path of Western development.
In 2021, the European Parliament froze the EU-China Investment Agreement because the anti-China lobby did not want the mutually beneficial agreement to be approved, so they used China's "disrespect for human rights [by Western standards]" as an excuse. This is a very typical and regrettable case of the West's attempt to impose its will on others. Does this reflect "institutional competition"? The agreement was successfully approved in China, and the Chinese side did not add any additional conditions beyond the scope agreed by the two sides, but the EU set all kinds of conditions. It is not difficult to see that the so-called "institutional competition" is not actually competition with each other, but unilateral competition from the EU against China.
In the face of various difficulties in dialogue created by the West, China has put forward the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, advocating the building of a multilateral, inclusive and cooperative community with a shared future for mankind without exclusive hegemony. China does not impose this concept on any country, but rather as a path to peaceful coexistence and common prosperity.
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The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the largest global connectivity project implemented and effective so far, and the most vivid practice of the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind. It is open to all countries in the world, does not exclude anyone, and has no institutional restrictions, emphasizing not only land, sea and air connectivity, but also global connectivity in digital, cultural, policy and environmental aspects, advocating intercultural dialogue, and not engaging in institutional export.
How can we advance the implementation of a common vision of a shared future for mankind? Of course, this is not an overnight issue, but a century-old plan, and a strategic goal for the entire 21 st century.
We have made tremendous progress, and we must interpret and disseminate these advances in the face of catastrophists and exclusivists. For example, we have built major transport arteries and digital corridors, held international forums that provide platforms for discussion and dialogue, signed numerous bilateral and multilateral agreements, and forged new multilateral governance mechanisms, such as the BRICS and the G20.
We need strong actors to promote the realization of a community with a shared future for mankind. China, the United States, and the European Union should play their respective roles in promoting mutual understanding among civilizations and upholding multilateralism. (ENDS).
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