Implement Major Global Initiatives and Contribute
China's Wisdom to Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind
— Speech by Mr. Qiu Xuejun, Consul General of China in Munich at the Symposium on Implementing the Four Major Global Initiatives and Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind
August 4, 2026, Munich
Dear Mme. Helga Zepp-LaRouche, Founder and President of the International Schiller Institute,
Dear Dr. Guo Qinglin, Director of the Dunhuang Academy,
Dear Prof. Dr. Zhang Weiwei, Director of the China Institute, Fudan University,
Distinguished guests, dear friends,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good day!
Today, the Chinese Consulate General in Munich and the Schiller Institute of Germany jointly host the seminar on "Implementing the Four Global Initiatives and Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind". On behalf of the Consulate General, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all distinguished guests.
The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, and the cause of peace and development for humanity remains an arduous journey. The international landscape is marked by intertwined turbulence and shifts, with mounting political and economic disputes. Since 2024, the number of armed conflicts has hit a record high since the end of World War II. Multiple countries have been embroiled in conflicts and wars, global military spending has surged sharply, and the specter of militarism has reemerged in certain country, which warrants high vigilance from the international community. Fragmentation of the world economy is intensifying, severely hampering development progress. Economic globalization is facing headwinds. Efforts to erect barriers, "decouple and sever supply chains", and arbitrarily impose tariffs have disrupted the operation of the world economy. A host of new challenges keep emerging. Climate transition is beset with difficulties, the digital divide continues to widen, the misuse of artificial intelligence triggers security risks, and challenges to food and energy security are growing. Non-traditional security threats including terrorism, cyberattacks, transnational crimes and biological security are on the rise. Humanity is confronted with increasingly complex and diverse common challenges, and the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation.
Humanity stands once again at a crossroads concerning its future. All countries in the world face an inevitable question: Will we allow hegemonism and unilateralism to undermine the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law, dragging the world back to the law of the jungle, or will we follow the trend of the times featuring peace, development, cooperation and win-win results, and uphold the common values of humanity, namely peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom?
At this critical juncture, China, an ancient civilization with more than 5,000 years of history, once again offers unique Eastern wisdom to the world. With far-sighted vision, President Xi Jinping has put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity as well as four major global initiatives, namely the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative, charting the course for tackling various global challenges and advancing the common development of humanity.
I.Building a community with a shared future for mankind is the only way to address the common challenges facing humanity.
First, its profound historical heritage, distinctive marks of the times and rich humanistic connotations underpin the scientific nature, progressive character and universal applicability of the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind. The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind serves as the core tenet of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy. Rooted deeply in the Chinese worldview and philosophy of life embodied in the propositions that "All under heaven are of one family", "Be benevolent and foster good-neighborly relations" and "Seek self-improvement while uplifting others", this vision embodies the global vision of the Communist Party of China, which strives for happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, and also pursues human progress and universal harmony for the world. It carries forward and builds upon the diplomatic philosophies, strategic thinking and fine traditions of China since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Moreover, it draws nourishment from the outstanding civilizational achievements of humanity, reflecting the universal aspirations and common voices of all mankind.
Second, unprecedented interdependence increases among Countries, global challenges require global responses, building a community with a shared future for mankind has become an inevitable historical trend. Since the dawn of human society, humanity has gone through the Agricultural Revolution, the Industrial Revolution and the Information Revolution, with the Earth remaining humanity’s sole home for survival. Amid the rapid advances in information technology today, human interactions are deeper and broader than ever before, and countries are interlinked and interdependent with one another more frequently and closely than at any previous time. The world is evolving into a community of shared interests, shared responsibilities and a shared future where interests converge and security is shared for all sides.The world is witnessing accelerated shifts unseen in a century, and humanity faces unprecedented challenges. The deficits in peace, development, security and governance are intertwined, no country can insulate itself from risks by acting alone. President Xi Jinping points out, "There is only one Earth in the universe, and humanity shares one common home” "Countries are not sailing in more than 190 small boats; rather, we are all aboard one large ship with a shared future. Small boats cannot withstand storms; only a giant vessel can ride out raging tempests”"No country can stay unscathed amid major crises; solidarity and cooperation represent the right path forward for humanity.” Only through global collaboration to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind can humanity effectively tackle global challenges and win a bright future.
Third, The exploration and successful practice of China’s development path have endowed the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind with unprecedented innovativeness. The Chinese people are a peace-loving nation. China has grown stronger never through aggression and plunder, but through independence, self-reliance and hard work. Having pioneered and adhered to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, China has accomplished within just a few decades the industrialization process that took developed countries hundreds of years, thus securing two miracles: rapid economic growth and long-term social stability. China has won the battle against absolute poverty on a scale unseen in human history, lifting nearly 100 million rural poor people out of poverty and eradicating absolute poverty across the country for the first time in history. China has put in place the world’s largest systems for education, social security and medical care. China commits to consolidating and developing the socialist ethnic relations featuring equality, unity, mutual assistance and harmony, enacts the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, fosters a strong sense of the Chinese nation as one community where all ethnic groups share weal and woe, honor and disgrace, life and death, and a common future, and builds a big family of the Chinese nation. China stays firmly on the path of peaceful development and injects steady momentum into global economic recovery and the improvement of global governance through its own development. China never accepts the alleged historical inevitability that “a strong country is bound to seek hegemony”, never regards the law of the jungle as the norm for human coexistence, and will never be coerced into falling into the trap of zero-sum games. On the contrary, China consistently champions the common values of humanity, namely peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, always integrates its own development with global development, aligns the interests of the Chinese people with the shared interests of peoples across the world, and stands ready to work with all countries to build a world of lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness, inclusiveness, cleanness and beauty.
Fourth, building a community with a shared future for mankind has garnered extensive consensus across the international community and demonstrated strong influence, vitality and appeal. Since its proposal, the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind has won widespread responses from countries around the world. It has been incorporated into UN General Assembly resolutions for eight consecutive years and included in numerous bilateral and multilateral declarations, gradually evolving into a public good with landmark significance. Up to now, dozens of countries and regions have reached consensus with China to build communities with a shared future in diverse forms. Steady progress has also been made in developing such communities in various fields including cyberspace, nuclear security, public health, harmony between humanity and nature, and marine governance. Building a community with a shared future for mankind has become the greatest common denominator for people of all countries to build a better world.
II.China's practice of promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and implementing the four major global initiatives has injected positive energy into the cause of world peace and development.
First, high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) delivers benefits to three-quarters of the world’s countries. Since President Xi Jinping put forward the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, the BRI has evolved into the global cooperation platform with the broadest coverage and largest scale. As of 2026, more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations have joined the BRI partnership framework, signing over 200 cooperation documents with China and launching more than 4,000 cooperative projects with a total investment exceeding USD 1 trillion. In the first half of 2026, China’s import and export volume with BRI partner countries stood at 12.97 trillion yuan(1.92 trillion US dollars), representing a year-on-year increase of 14.8%.
Second, act on the Global Development Initiative and advocate universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. The year 2026 marks the fifth anniversary of the Global Development Initiative put foward by President Xi Jinping. Over the past five years, the Initiative has received responses and support from the United Nations and other international organizations as well as more than 100 countries, with over 80 countries joining the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative. Nearly 100 countries, regions and international organizations have signed cooperation documents on the Initiative with China. To date, more than 1,800 cooperation projects under the Global Development Initiative have been carried out, over 200,000 professionals have been trained for developing countries, fresh strides have been made and tangible results achieved in global development endeavors, injecting vitality into the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, China has continuously intensified ecological protection efforts, witnessed historic improvements in ecological development, steadily advanced the transition toward green and low-carbon development, refined the ecological civilization system, and made solid progress in building a beautiful China. The 15th Five-Year Plan of China, newly issued in March of this year, has further served as a "list of opportunities" for countries across the world to share the development dividends brought by Chinese modernization.
Third, uphold the Global Security Initiative and serve as a mainstay in safeguarding world peace. China advocates resolving differences through consultation and settling disputes via dialogue. As a responsible major country, China has consistently strived to play its role and advance the political settlement of various international and regional hotspot issues. China is engaged in active negotiations with ASEAN member states on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, striving to turn the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation. Right after the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, China put forward constructive proposals embodied in the "Four Musts", persisted in promoting peace talks, and conducted extensive contacts and exchanges with relevant parties regarding the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. Through active mediation, China facilitated the historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, setting an exemplary model for regional countries to resolve conflicts and differences and achieve good-neighborly friendship through dialogue and consultation. In response to the ongoing conflicts involving the United States, Israel and Iran, China has put forward a five-point initiative for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East Region, as well as four propositions on safeguarding and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, committing itself to restoring and maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East as well as global energy security.
Fourth, upholding the Global Civilization Initiative and adhering to an outlook on civilizations featuring equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness. In 2024, the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution initiated by China and other 82 countries,which declares June 10 the International Day for Dialogue Among Civilizations. China regards party-to-party exchanges as a vital component of inter-civilization dialogue, hosting the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting and the CPC and World Political Parties Summit, and carrying out extensive bilateral and multilateral exchanges and cooperation between political parties. China continues to deepen cooperation with UNESCO and the UN World Tourism Organization. Recently, China's nominated project of Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites has been successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List, becoming China's 61st World Heritage site. China has implemented a 30-day visa-free policy for citizens of many countries to boost friendly exchanges among peoples. Events such as "Happy Chinese New Year" have become a shining cultural calling card of China overseas. China advances cultural and tourism exchanges with other countries, rolls out the Cultural Silk Road Program, and establishes the Alliance of Silk Road International Theatres, Museums, Arts Festivals, Libraries and Art Galleries. China has forged approximately 3,000 pairs of friendship-city (province-state) ties with countries across the globe.
Fifth, act on the Global Governance Initiative and foster a just and equitable global governance system. China has always been an active participant, contributor and builder of global governance. China advocates a vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, stands for genuine multilateralism, and advances an equal and orderly multipolar world as well as universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.
In 2025, which marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations, President Xi Jinping solemnly put forward the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), offering a Chinese solution to the contemporary questions concerning what kind of global governance system to build and how to reform and improve global governance. Guided by upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and practicing the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, the GGI sets forth five core tenets: respect for sovereign equality, adherence to international rule of law, commitment to multilateralism, people-centered approach and action-oriented implementation. Since its unveiling, the Initiative has won support and responses from nearly 160 countries and international organizations, with over 60 countries joining the Friends of Global Governance Group.
On July 16, the signing ceremony of the Agreement on the Establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) was held in Shanghai. On July 17, President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance and delivered a keynote address. He pointed out that all countries should uphold a people-centered and benevolent vision, enable artificial intelligence to serve as a vital driving force for boosting common prosperity and safeguarding common security, and jointly build a just and equitable global AI governance system. This marks another important contribution by China to advancing joint efforts worldwide to build a sound global AI governance system, following the proposal of the Global AI Governance Initiative, China’s facilitation of the adoption through consensus by the UN General Assembly of a resolution on international cooperation in AI capacity-building, and the release of the Inclusive Plan for AI Capacity Building and the International Cooperation Initiative on "AI Plus".
III.Deepen China-Germany and China-EU comprehensive strategic partnerships, injecting new impetus into building a community with a shared future for mankind.
As two major forces advancing multipolarization, two major markets supporting globalization and two major civilizations advocating diversity, China and Europe enjoy bilateral relations, which bear far-reaching strategic significance and global influence. There exists no fundamental conflict of interests between China and Europe; cooperation far outweighs competition, and consensus outweighs differences. Being each other's second-largest trading partners, China and Europe have delivered tangible benefits to peoples on both sides through mutually beneficial cooperation. Taking the China-Europe Railway Express (CR Express) as an example, its total number of trips exceeded 130,000 with cargo value surpassing 520 billion US dollars as of May 9, 2026. The service has been launched in 129 cities across China, reaching 235 cities in 26 European countries and more than 100 cities in 11 Asian countries. Its annual operation volume surged by 10.8 times over the past decade.
It is worth noting that there are certain negative voices in Europe advocating restrictive economic and trade policies against China, which run counter to the laws of the market economy and the principles of multilateralism. Such propositions are ill-advised. Once restrictive policies are implemented, they will undermine normal economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe, thereby disrupting European markets, raising corporate costs, squeezing employment opportunities, and ultimately harming Europe's own interests and the well-being of European people. China has consistently maintained that China and Europe should uphold mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and resolve differences through dialogue and consultation. With huge economic volume and strong economic complementarity, China and Europe can embrace a promising future only by adhering to mutually beneficial cooperation.
As the world's second and third largest economies and the largest industrial nations on the Asian and European continents respectively, China and Germany shoulder a special historical mission for the future of humanity. The mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides within the framework of the China-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is bound to make positive contributions to world peace and development. As a pioneer in developing friendly relations at the regional level with China, the state of Bavaria plays a unique and positive role in advancing and deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Germany.
History has repeatedly proven that the collaboration between intellectual circles of China and Germany across vast distances has sparked wisdom that illuminate the world. Today, the Chinese Consulate General in Munich and the Schiller Institute in Germany co-host this seminar, bringing together insightful people from all sectors to conduct in-depth exchanges on important issues including the current international situation and global governance. This event itself constitutes a valuable practice in advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
It is expected that through discussions among participants, valuable insights can be pooled to contribute wisdom and strength to jointly advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Thank you everyone!