The Four Global Initiatives: A New Chapter in China-Myanmar Friendship

By Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Ma Jia

Today, the world faces growing deficits in peace, development, security and governance. In the face of mounting global challenges, people around the world have an increasingly urgent desire for stronger international coop­eration. Against this backdrop, Chinese President Xi Jinping has proposed the Global Devel­opment Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative. These initiatives share China’s wisdom for promoting world peace and development and in­ject fresh impetus into building a community with a shared future for humanity.

I. Prioritizing Development to Lay a Solid Foundation for Common Prosperity

Development is an eternal theme for humanity and the mas­ter key to solving all problems. The Global Development Initi­ative advocates a people-cen­tered approach to development and strives to ensure that no country or individual is left be­hind. It seeks to accelerate the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sus­tainable Development. Moving beyond the narrow perspectives of “Western-centrism” and “put­ting one’s own country first,” the initiative is committed to advancing equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules for all countries, helping global development enter a new stage of greater balance, coordination and inclusiveness. In the five years since its launch, the initi­ative has mobilized more than US$23 billion in funding and sup­ported over 2,000 cooperation projects. Practical cooperation under the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund has benefited more than 70 countries and over 40 million people, earning widespread acclaim from the international community. The Fund has also supported the implementation of five livelihood and development projects in Myanmar.

In June this year, Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing paid a state visit to China. The two sides signed a number of co­operative documents covering transport, science and technol­ogy, intellectual property, human resources development, public health, media and other fields. Guided by the Global Develop­ment Initiative, China and My­anmar have seen steady growth in bilateral trade and continued expansion of cooperation in improving people’s livelihoods. China has actively supported Myanmar’s post-earthquake reconstruction and backed 140 development projects in Myan­mar through the Lancang-Me­kong Cooperation Special Fund. Practical cooperation between the two countries is delivering tangible benefits to the people of Myanmar.

II. Promoting Common Secu­rity to Safeguard Peace and Development

Peace and security are es­sential prerequisites for devel­opment and fundamental aspi­rations shared by people around the world. The Global Security Initiative advocates the vision of common, comprehensive, coop­erative and sustainable securi­ty. Upholding the principle that security is indivisible, it calls for a balanced, effective and sus­tainable security architecture. It emphasizes that no country can ensure its own security in isolation from global security, and that absolute security can­not be achieved at the expense of other countries’ security. Mov­ing beyond traditional geopolit­ical security theories, zero-sum games, bloc politics and con­frontation between camps, the initiative offers new approach­es to improving global securi­ty governance and addressing humanity’s security challeng­es. China has issued the Global Security Initiative Concept Pa­per, establishing a systematic framework for translating its principles into action. On such international and regional hot­spot issues as the Ukraine crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli con­flict, China has maintained an objective and impartial position and worked to promote political solutions. In the four years since its launch, the initiative has re­ceived appreciation and support from more than 130 countries and international organizations. Its core principles have been in­corporated into over 160 bilater­al and multilateral documents, demonstrating the appeal of this new approach to security and the strength of its practical results.

In recent years, China and Myanmar have strengthened bilateral and multilateral law enforcement and security co­operation, working together to combat cross-border crimes such as illegal online gambling and telecom and online fraud. In July this year, Myanmar adopt­ed its Anti-Online Scam Law. In September, the International Alliance Combating Telecom and Cyber Fraud was established in China. Implementing the Global Security Initiative and deepening China-Myanmar security coop­eration will help better protect each other’s citizens and in­stitutions in the other country, providing a solid foundation for both peoples to share the bene­fits of peace and socioeconomic development.

III. Promoting Exchanges Among Civilizations to Bring Our Peoples Closer Together

Civilizations are enriched by exchanges and mutual learning. The Global Civilization Initia­tive recognizes the diversity of world civilizations and advocates a vision of civilization based on equality, mutual learning, dia­logue and inclusiveness. It calls for promoting the common val­ues of humanity. The initiative opposes imposing one’s own val­ues and models on others and rejects ideological confrontation. It offers a practical path towards resolving barriers among civ­ilizations and expanding ex­changes and mutual learning. The United Nations General Assembly has formally estab­lished the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations. China has hosted the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Dialogue of Civilizations, signed cooperation agreements with more than 100 countries in areas such as cul­ture, cultural heritage and tour­ism, implemented the Silk Road Culture initiative, held the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting, and taken the lead in establishing the Global South Think Tanks Alliance. In the three years since its launch, the initiative has reso­nated strongly around the world, and its contemporary relevance and practical value continue to grow.

This year, President Min Aung Hlaing attended China Film Week activities, while Chi­nese films and television pro­ductions, including Dear You and Once Upon a Time in the Middle East, have enjoyed popu­larity in Myanmar. A wide range of people-to-people and cultural activities, including China-My­anmar youth dialogues, media exchanges, cultural experiences and sporting events, have grad­ually brought the peoples of the two countries closer together. Implementing the Global Civili­zation Initiative and deepening China-Myanmar people-to-peo­ple and cultural exchanges will help the two peoples better un­derstand one another, strength­en their bonds and carry forward the longstanding Pauk-Phaw friendship.

IV. Improving Global Govern­ance to Build Consensus for International Cooperation

How should the world ad­dress global challenges and safeguard the international order? These questions reflect humanity’s deep understand­ing of the lessons of history and its enduring pursuit of a better future. The Global Gov­ernance Initiative is guided by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit. It emphasizes sovereign equal­ity, international rule of law, multilateralism, a people-cen­tered approach, and real ac­tion. The initiative responds to the historical trends towards a multipolar world and great­er democracy in international relations, strengthening the international community’s con­fidence and resolve to uphold multilateralism. China firmly safeguards the authority and central role of the United Na­tions and supports the develop­ment and expansion of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, through which the representation and voice of the Global South continue to grow. China has promoted the establishment of new mul­tilateral financing institutions, including the Asian Infrastruc­ture Investment Bank and the New Development Bank. It has advanced the high-quality im­plementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Part­nership Agreement and worked to build an open world econo­my. The establishment of the International Organization for Mediation and the successful resolution of its first interna­tional maritime dispute have opened up a new avenue for resolving international disputes peacefully and efficiently. China has also helped establish the World Data Organization and the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, cre­ating new platforms for digi­tal-intelligent governance. In the year since its launch, the in­itiative has gained support and positive responses from nearly 160 countries and internation­al organizations. More than 60 countries have actively joined the Group of Friends of Global Governance. The international community is gradually build­ing consensus on reforming the global governance system and translating that consensus into coordinated action.

Myanmar has actively joined mechanisms such as the Group of Friends of Global Governance, the International Organization for Mediation and the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, working alongside other coun­tries to uphold genuine multi­lateralism. This autumn, China will host the Global Governance Forum in Xiong’an New Area, providing an important oppor­tunity for representatives from Myanmar and other countries to discuss ways to reform and improve global governance.

Practice has shown that the four global initiatives respond to the trends of history and the shared aspirations of the inter­national community. They are steadily moving from vision to action and from blueprint to reality, generating an increas­ingly broad and far-reaching impact. At this new historical juncture, China stands ready to work with Myanmar to trans­late the four global initiatives into concrete action and deep­en practical cooperation across bilateral and multilateral fields. By turning our shared vision into tangible benefits, we can further improve the well-being of both peoples and build a Chi­na-Myanmar community with a shared future characterized by political friendship and mu­tual trust, mutually beneficial development, coordinated and mutually reinforcing security, and closer people-to-people and cultural ties.

(The views and opinions in the article solely belong to the author).

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