Op-Ed: The darkness before dawn will eventually be overcome

The following is an op-ed written by Kong Xianhua, the Chinese Ambassador to the Maldives.

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The world stands at a new historical crossroads. The conflict in the Middle East continues to spill over, the Ukraine crisis drags on, trade protectionism and unilateral sanctions keep surfacing, and new technologies such as artificial intelligence are creating huge opportunities while posing new governance challenges. The international community has more technological power and material wealth than ever before, yet it still faces growing conflict, uneven development and a governance deficit.

Why, then, has a world that is more closely connected than ever not become safer? Why have stronger international rules not brought more fairness and trust? At the root of these problems is the shadow of the old order that still hangs over the world.

The logic of old colonialism still lingers. Colonialism as a system ended long ago, but its political legacy and ways of thinking have not truly disappeared. For too long, the international political and economic order has reflected the interests of a small number of developed countries, while developing countries remain underrepresented and have too little say in global governance, the distribution of development resources and the making of international rules. 

Some countries still treat the Western path to modernization as the only model, and frequently invoke democracy, human rights and the rule of law to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, while applying international rules selectively. The United States, for example, has yet to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, but repeatedly invokes the so-called “South China Sea arbitration award” to interfere in regional affairs. It has long imposed unilateral sanctions without UN authorization, yet continues to portray itself as a defender of the international order. Putting one's own will above international rules is, in essence, an expression of the arrogance of old colonialism. It not only undermines the authority of international law, but also deepens mistrust among countries.

Common challenges require shared responsibility. The world today is an increasingly interconnected community in which interests are intertwined and security is shared. Climate change, energy and food security, public health, and artificial intelligence governance have all long crossed national borders. No country can tackle them alone. In the face of such challenges, countries cannot focus only on their own interests. They must shoulder their shared responsibilities, safeguard a peaceful and stable environment for development, and work toward a fairer and more reasonable international order.

Developing countries are not bystanders in international affairs. They are important participants in global development and a major force in reshaping the international order. Whether it is China, with its vast territory, or the Maldives, with its vast ocean, countries may differ in their circumstances and stages of development, but peace, development and the environment know no borders. Only by strengthening solidarity and cooperation, respecting differences while expanding common interests, can countries turn common challenges into opportunities for shared development and achieve greater common security through shared development.

A community with a shared future for humanity points the way to a common future. The more interdependent the world becomes, the more we need to move beyond zero-sum thinking and respond to common challenges through cooperation. 

President Xi Jinping put forward the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity as a profound insight into the trend of our times and a positive response to its challenges. It does not call on countries to follow the same path or adopt the same political system. Rather, it advocates mutual respect, fairness and justice, win-win cooperation, and the principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit. It seeks to build a world that is more peaceful, secure, prosperous and open. At its core, the concept seeks the greatest common ground while respecting each country's right to choose its own path. It links the development of individual countries with global development and better aligns national interests with the common interests of humanity.

China's efforts to advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, as well as its Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative and Global Governance Initiative, have enriched and expanded the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity in different ways. Together, they offer answers to a defining question of our time: What kind of world should we build, and how should we build it?

A shared vision requires shared action. The strength and vitality of the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity lie not only in its forward-looking ideas, but also in the fact that it follows the reality of growing global interdependence and offers a practical way for countries to manage differences and disagreements. The concept does not ignore differences in development or conflicts of interest among countries. Instead, it respects each country's national conditions and development path while encouraging countries to find room for cooperation in areas of common interest and pursue mutual benefit and win-win outcomes in an interdependent world.

This is fundamentally different from the old logic of the strong bullying the weak and zero-sum competition. A community with a shared future for humanity sees countries not as rivals whose gains must come at each other's expense, but as partners capable of growing together. It does not seek to make the world uniform, but to achieve common progress while seeking common ground and respecting differences. As more countries see opportunities in cooperation and gain tangible benefits from shared development, building a community with a shared future for humanity will become more than an idea. It is becoming a practical choice through which countries can shape their future together.

The world will not remain trapped forever in conflict and confrontation, nor will it remain bound forever by zero-sum thinking. Building a community with a shared future for humanity requires the understanding, support and participation of every country. The Maldives, like countries around the world, is experiencing the changes of our times and making its own choices about the future. The world may still be shrouded in darkness and uncertainty today, but the direction of history has not changed. When arrogance is overcome and responsibility is met with the resolve to act; when a community with a shared future for humanity becomes a shared conviction and a shared practice, a new dawn for us all will surely come.