Experts welcome Xi’s propositions outlining pathway toward common prosperity, peace and tranquility

The five proposals put forward by President Xi Jinping at a meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, were applauded by global experts, who said the proposals will help shape a fair international political and economic order and act as a stabilizing force amid the rapidly changing global landscape.

In his speech on July 4 at the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus” meeting, President Xi said changes of historical significance are unfolding across the world in ways like never before, and that the international landscape is undergoing rapid transformation.

To cope with this major transformation, the key is to have the wisdom to see the changes, the ability to deal with the changes, and the courage to make changes, Xi said. He outlined five proposals, calling for building a common home featuring solidarity and mutual trust, peace and tranquility, prosperity and development, good neighborliness, and friendship, as well as fairness and justice.

Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, president of the Pak-China Corridor of Knowledge and executive director of the Center for South Asia and International Studies, said Xi’s five proposals received widespread and high recognition.

He praised the Chinese leader’s proposals as an antidote to increasing bloc confrontation, decoupling, and delinking.

“The proposals promote equal opportunity, fair play, economic globalization, and international cooperation. Thus, his proposals are a must for greater socioeconomic integration, promotion of the Global South, and South-South Cooperation,” he said.

Mehmood noted that Xi’s proposals emphasize establishing a new security system, a fair economic environment, and a clean world, while rejecting Cold War mentality and power geopolitics.

“His speech also highlighted the SCO’s commitments and the Chinese wisdom to respond to emerging security challenges through the spirits of dialogue, coordination, and win-win cooperation, acting as an anchor of peace and stability in the Eurasian continent,” he said.

On the economic front, President Xi presented an economic recipe to successfully manage prevailing trade hegemony through technological innovation and inclusiveness, stimulating the endogenous economic dynamism of its member states, Mehmood said.

Observers said Xi’s trip to Central Asia will help boost the region’s development, and that his speech at the SCO summit offers a comprehensive vision for a stable, prosperous, and cooperative world.

During the trip from July 2 to 6, Xi attended the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the Kazakh capital Astana, and paid state visits to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. The visits will accelerate the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and promote regional development in various fields, analysts said.

The focus of Xi’s meetings with Central Asian leaders was the implementation of the BRI, a project that enhances trade, infrastructure investments, as well as technological cooperation between China and Central Asian countries, said Sergey Suverov, an associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.

“The BRI will boost trade between the participating countries, increase GDP dynamics, and create additional jobs. Central Asian countries can also leverage their advantageous geographical locations on transit corridors to enhance their economic potential,” Suverov said.

Ali Khansari, an international affairs analyst in Teheran, said that a community with a shared future is the keyword of President Xi’s July 4 speech.

“Xi rightly considers security as a prerequisite for national development and believes in comprehensive common security. Noninterference is not based on indifference,” Khansari said, citing an example wherein “without intervening in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, the SCO has encouraged the member states to increase humanitarian aid and to create a broad and inclusive political structure”.

He highlighted that, unlike other powers, China does not seek hegemony, but offers economic and political solutions such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Belt and Road Initiative.

“China has helped the comprehensive development of its neighboring countries and member countries so that different countries of the world can benefit from economic globalization in this multipolar world,” Khansari said.

Karori Singh, former director and emeritus fellow of the South Asia Studies Centre at the University of Rajasthan in India, said that President Xi addressed the meeting with clarity of mission, goals, and vision.

“The SCO has emerged as one of Asia’s pivotal regional organizations for ensuring greater security and promoting development. The summit offered an opportunity to all the member countries to hold bilateral meetings for addressing bilateral and even multilateral problems and generating greater understanding,” said Singh.

Shakeel Ahmad Ramay, CEO of the Asian Institute of Eco-civilization Research and Development in Pakistan, said, “President Xi’s speech at the SCO meeting spells out that China is busy erecting institutional mechanisms to support the SCO and its members in constructing a community with a shared future.”

Xi’s speech highlighted the necessity of mutual learning and exchange among civilizations, pointing to the potential for collective growth and understanding, said Khalid Taimur Akram, executive director of Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future.

The SCO has been a beacon of international cooperation and a driving force for global development, and its success lies in its adaptability to global changes through solidarity and cooperation, ensuring a prosperous and peaceful future for humanity, Akram said.

Tahir Farooq, editor-in-chief of Daily Ittehad Media Group and Pakistan Economic Net, highlighted the speech’s pivotal points of global significance.

“(Xi’s) emphasis on stability, cooperation, and mutual development resonates deeply with the current geopolitical climate … His speech reiterated the importance of multilateralism, stressing the need for a fair and just international order and advocating for reforms in global governance structures to ensure they are more inclusive and representative of all nations,” Farooq said.

The Chinese president’s call for collective action on various fronts, from economic development to climate change, underscores the interconnectedness of global challenges and the need for a unified response, he added.

Dennis Munene, executive director of the China-Africa Center at the Africa Policy Institute in Nairobi, Kenya, said unlike some Western-led groups, the SCO advocates non-alliance and nonconfrontation, and does not target any third party, which should be cherished in a world facing increasing confrontations and conflicts.

“The success of the SCO is a testament to the common aspirations of various countries to pursue a more just and equitable global governance and build a prosperous and peaceful world,” he said.

Anthony Moretti, an associate professor of the Communication and Organizational Leadership Department at Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania, described the “common home” as a place where friendship and sincerity permeate all conversations. If the SCO Plus continues to strengthen relationships among its members, it will enhance prospects for peace and positive trade across the board, Moretti said.

Rohan Gunaratna, professor of Security Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said Xi’s speech emphasized security, development, and harmony.

“As it expands its partnerships, Beijing is constantly reiterating that China will not be targeting its adversaries. While advancing its interests, Chinese leaders understand the need to avoid conflict,” he said.

Oleg Timofeev, an associate professor at Russia’s RUDN University, said forming transcontinental transport corridors has been a focal point of regional cooperation since the launch of the BRI in 2013.

Central Asian political circles have been exploring ways to integrate the BRI with local infrastructure projects such as Kazakhstan’s Nurly Zhol (Bright Road), Timofeev said.

Pritchin Stanislav, an expert at the Primakov Readings Forum and head of the Central Asia Sector at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations in Moscow, said China has emerged as the main trading partner and investor for most Central Asian countries, significantly boosting economic ties with them.

The advancement of China’s technologies and education will positively influence the development of Central Asia, Stanislav said.

Yang Ran in Beijing and Yifan Xu in Washington contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com