Revive Silk Road spirit for a shared future

A pianist performs during the Millennial Road, a performance for the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, May 14, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING -- A steadfast champion of globalization, Chinese President Xi Jinping has chartered a new course toward peace and common prosperity amid global challenges by reviving the Silk Road spirit.

The first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation closed Monday in Beijing with much success, including the signing of a series of cooperation agreements, a concrete move to revive the Silk Road.

Xi described the Silk Road spirit as "a great heritage of human civilization," with peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit at its core -- truly a new model.

The Belt and Road Initiative, which Xi proposed in 2013, represents the spirit of harmony that takes root in ancient Chinese culture. China was the beating heart in the system of ancient Silk Road. The revival shows the new vitality of ancient Chinese civilization.

Though reflecting Eastern philosophy, the initiative is international in its applications, just like paper, gunpowder and silk.

While the Western world tinkers with upgrades and recalibrations to a doddering economic model that has brought untold riches to a few, Xi is meeting global challenges head-on with a new model, one which may bring prosperity to all.

The world today has every reason to carry forward this great heritage, given poverty, skewed development, terror and turbulence are afflicting mankind.

The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road are a fresh solution to the great quandary of the contemporary world, promoting connectivity in policy, infrastructure, trade, finance and people.

Harmony is intrinsic to the open and inclusive initiative. And zero-sum mentality is losing ground along with outdated geopolitical maneuvering. The initiative hopes to create a big family of harmonious co-existence with win-win cooperation and exchange.

"Harmony without uniformity" is the traditional Chinese saying. It is natural for countries with different cultures to have differences, but they still can have mutually beneficial cooperation. After all, a piano does not bang out one note again and again.

With broad support already, China is inviting more countries to set off on the Belt and Road and move toward peace and common prosperity.

The future of mankind is shared. It is the only future for all.