Initiative champions prosperity among all civilizations

The Global Civilization Initiative proposed on Wednesday by President Xi Jinping carries hope for humanity and reflects a spirit of compassion, coordination and collaboration through dialogue, diplomacy and development among different civilizations.

Based on service to the people and respect for humanity, the initiative is an innovative and integrated effort to promote global peace and progress and the prosperity of all civilizations. While campaigning for harmony, tolerance and respect for others, it stands for modernization with a futuristic vision pertaining to sustainable bilateral relations and meaningful multilateral propositions around the world.

Notably, the Global Civilization Initiative is the third major global initiative presented by Xi after the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. They are holistic, constructive, productive and sustainable.

Our world and peoples have been ravaged because of intensified geopolitical struggles forced onto the chessboard of power politics. Unfortunately, the greedy politicians of the United States-led West have coined concepts of confrontational narratives, such as "clash of civilizations" and "superiority of civilizations", and have misled public opinion, which ultimately creates more division, destruction and deterioration of law and order in the world.

As a result, humanity suffers in the line of fire, and everywhere there is fire burning the spirit of rational thinking, tolerance and regional and global unity. The dark shadows of hatred and estrangement of civilizations have seriously hindered international cooperation and coordination.

Amid all of this, the Global Civilization Initiative is a gift for all states, societies and systems in the world, because it is anti-hatred and anti-discrimination and spells out the strategic importance of equality, fair play and peaceful coexistence of different civilizations.

By advocating respect for the diversity of civilizations, the initiative emphasizes that different civilizations can tolerate each other and coexist, and can support one another in respective development rights.

By advocating the common values of humanity, it stresses the common aspirations of all people for peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom. It cares for the dignity of all, guarantees social equality, economic stability and political sustainability, and facilitates greater connectivity and socioeconomic integration.

Furthermore, by advocating the inheritance and innovation of civilizations, the initiative sets practical paths for modernization and the collective progress of humanity for a better tomorrow.

And by advocating robust international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, it sets forth ways to achieve common progress and prosperity to go far beyond the currently growing gap between the haves and the have-nots.

Different countries and civilizations badly need to work together to deal with global challenges that will affect the destiny of mankind as a whole. The Global Civilization Initiative is a timely way to address the widening gaps of distrust, disharmony and disinformation.

The initiative's propositions put people first and ensure that modernization is people-centered. They also uphold the principle of independence in exploring diversified paths toward modernization, emphasize helping others to succeed while seeking one's own success, ensure that all can enjoy the outcomes of modernization, and call for forging ahead with enterprise and integrity.

Unfortunately, despite worldwide destruction and collateral damage, the worshipers and schemers of the Cold War mentality still exist and are expanding, demarcating ideological boundaries and engaging in bloc confrontation, which is ruining the true spirit of globalization, internationalism and universal togetherness. Such a mentality has led to and intensified the Russia-Ukraine conflict and tensions in the Pacific region.

The world does not need further division and destruction. Rather, it urgently needs harmony, cooperation and coordination to achieve a qualitative life for all.

Thus, the Global Civilization Initiative is a gateway to socioeconomic integration, greater regional connectivity and better understanding. It is a new social, political and economic charter of civilizational cooperation in the new modern world and will be useful in putting an end to emerging hot spots.

The People's Republic of China and the Communist Party of China stand out by putting forward the visions of the Global Civilization Initiative, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative and putting them into practice, while successfully achieving the two miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability.

Before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, while making fast progress on its unique path to modernization, China has happily shared its experience with the world without reservation to achieve common growth through mutual exchange and learning. The three Chinese initiatives are all high-quality global public goods demonstrating China's goodwill, wisdom and contributions.

The author is executive director of the Center for South Asia& International Studies in Islamabad, Pakistan.