Country continues to solidify intl exchanges

"May the world enjoy peace and people of all countries live in happiness," President Xi Jinping said in his 2023 New Year Address.

The Chinese leader has again extended his heart to people all over the world who are facing common challenges as well as "changes unseen in a century", assuring renewed Chinese strength and contributions ahead.

The Chinese strength comes from the country's social and economic resilience despite difficulties. In the course of 2022, China encountered various natural disasters including earthquakes, floods, droughts and wildfires, and outbreaks of COVID-19. Yet the economy of China — whose GDP exceeded 120 trillion yuan ($17.5 trillion) in 2022 — enjoys strong resilience, tremendous potential and great vitality, with robust recovery expected in 2023.

As China enters a new phase of optimized COVID response amid tough challenges, it persists in putting the people first while following a science-based and targeted approach to protecting the life and health of vulnerable groups to the greatest extent possible. Thanks to its people sticking together in the face of adversity and its millennia-old traditional Chinese medicine, the country is emerging stronger to beat the virus and sustain its economic fundamentals for this year's goals and long-term growth.

Chinese strength also comes from the collective will and pursuit of the Chinese Dream for national rejuvenation under the inclusive governance of the Communist Party of China Central Committee with Xi at its core. The Chinese people are turning their country into a land that performs miracles through hard work to turn grand goals into reality.

China is contributing to human civilizations through strenuous efforts on its own path to modernization. This is exemplified by its success in such areas as boosting green energy and industries facing difficulties, hosting the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and completing its own space station while inviting foreign participation.

Another achievement of Chinese wisdom in meeting global challenges is the Belt and Road Initiative, which prioritizes extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.

According to Xi, the Chinese Dream — a dream about peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcomes — is closely linked with the beautiful dreams of people in countries around the world. The BRI's integration with domestic priorities has become more systematic and more prone to jointly building a community with a shared future.

Data shows that in 2020, China's outbound foreign direct investment was $154 billion, making the nation the world's No 1 overseas investor, compared with more than $80 million in 2012.

Analysts estimate that the largest BRI program so far is the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a collection of projects paving the way for Pakistan's growth. The projects bring jobs and other opportunities even to other countries in the region, including war-torn, poverty-stricken Afghanistan.

"We value friends and partners," Xi reaffirmed in his New Year address.

Indeed, Xi has worked hard to keep the country closely linked with the world. He met with more than 30 world leaders in recent months, keeping tight schedules at meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Group of 20 and APEC, as well as the first summits of China and Arab countries and China and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The China-GCC summit in December continued the long history of friendly exchanges between the two sides. In recent decades, amid regional and international uncertainties as well as common challenges, the two sides have come to each other's aid and navigated through the difficulties together.

China has a vast and growing consumer market and a complete industrial system, while the GCC, with rich energy resources, is embracing diversified economic development. As both belong to the family of Eastern civilizations, their peoples enjoy close bonds of traditional friendship and solidarity in times of adversity.

In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Xi and leaders of Arab states explored ways to build together a joint community with a shared future that highlights win-win cooperation, common security and sustainable development.

As China prepares to mark the 10th anniversary of the BRI, people in the world's developing economies are expecting more strategic and livelihood projects, in areas including farming, infrastructure and transportation, to pave the way for a better life.

Moreover, as Xi said in his address, "We stand firm on the right side of history and on the side of human civilization and progress." It is certain that China will continue to be a contributor to global progress, an engine of sustainable growth and a guardian of world peace.

Over time, the proposed elements of China's modernization and vision for better global governance will present the world with not only a moderately prosperous, democratic and strong country, but also further impetus to drive economic development, advances in science and technology, more robust creativity and a more beautiful environment.

The author is secretary-general of the Pakistan China Friendship Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chapter.