We are living in a fast changing world and China is a part of these fast and fundamental changes. Therefore, it seems proper to analyze the interaction between global challenges and China’s development. Given China’s weight in the world, this analysis will be indicative of the global trends and their main connotations, features and possible impacts.

I. Trends and Challenges

The world today is undergoing profound and complex changes, but peace and development remain the underlying trends of our times. We are witnessing four main features of the trends, namely, multipolarity, globalization, cultural diversity and informationized society.

First of all, these trends are asking China to redefine more accurately and precisely its identity. China has a multi-identity. China is big but not strong enough. China is emerging but yet to arrive at its goal. China is developing but with pains of growth. In a multipolar world, China makes strategic partnerships as its main supporting pillar for its external relations. In a globalized world, China tries hard to integrate its Chinese characteristics with the on-going globalization. In a culturally diversifying world, China attaches increasing importance to culture factors in international relations and strives for the compatibility between Chinese culture and other main cultures in the world. In an information society, China manages to go along with the times by choosing the better part but living with the undesirable one.

Secondly, these trends are asking China to continue its course of reform and open-up in an even broader and bolder way. China is in a critical stage of overlapping challenges ranging from international strategic alertness towards the rising China to deepening reforms at home. With deepening reform and open-up, China would also meet with new challenges of, among others, globalization, pluralism and communization or fragmentation. However, without further reform and open-up, China’s progresses would be halted or even suffer retrogression.

Thirdly, these trends are exerting more pressures on China’s economic development, political progress, and social management. With increasing intertwining with the outside world, China needs to undergo more rigorous economic restructuring, political pluralization, social progresses. Furthermore, China must put these above-mentioned pressures in the broader context of globalized world and make greater efforts to find the solutions to such challenges as climate change, resource scarcity and cyber security.

Fourthly, these trends are promoting the transition of international systems and orders. As the largest developing and emerging power in the world, China is required to shoulder greater international responsibilities and obligations. However, China is not fully ready to play a global power’s role, both materially and psychologically.

Last but not least, these trends are calling for material wealth sharing and common value building. Thanks to more than three-decade of steady and high growth, China has become the second largest economy of the world. However, China has a long way to go to converge with the international main stream in common value building.

II. China’s Contribution

China is the most populous nation with vast territory, long history and rich cultural tradition. Facing with the above-mentioned trends of changes, China tries to be more proactive and constructive.

First of all, China has the political will to promote peace, development and win-win cooperation. If we read both statements and practices of China’s diplomacy, it is not difficult to find that China focuses on the constructive side. Moreover, the new Chinese leadership also emphasizes that China should be even more inclusive and learning the good part of other members of the international society. In fact, China is one of the main advocator of peace, development and win-win cooperation in today’s world.

Secondly, China has the capability to provide positive energy to the world. China is one of the powerhouses to the world economy, an important builder of the new international system, especially in global economic governance, and stabilizer of world peace and development. China has succeeded in working for better relations with most of the developed, neighboring and developing countries. More importantly, China advocates and works for promoting the international system and order in a fairer and more equal direction.

Thirdly, China is exploring a tri-way of contribution to the healthy and sustainable trends in the benefits of the world’s peace, development and win-win cooperation. Domestically speaking, China holds that to have a good management of China’s own affairs per se is a great contribution to the world. China’s positive contributions during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and 2008 Global Financial Crisis are two cases in points. It looks likely that China will stay on the right track of its economic growth and political stability. Regionally speaking, China emphasizes on good-neighborly policies, shared economic wealth and inclusive regional frameworks of economic and security cooperation. Given the situation that some global efforts are being halted, China’s constructive approach to the regional cooperation has become even more prominent and necessary. Globally speaking, China is working with both developed and developing countries in enhancing South-South cooperation and North-South dialogue. Furthermore, China is striving for transformation of the international system and international order. Two aspects are worth mentioning here. One is that China works with other BRICS states for an appropriate share of says and rule-making in the world. The other is that China adopts a positive attitude to make rules and norms in such global commons as cyber-security and outer space order.

Finally, China is innovative in promoting new concepts of international relations and forming common or shared values. In terms of new concept, the Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed to President Obama for building out a New Model of Major Power Relations (NMMPR), which stresses no conflicts or confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation. This proposal is historically important as the NMMPR tries to transcend the doomed “Thucydides Trap”, i.e., the inevitable clashes between the rising and established powers. In terms of value-forming, China adopts an open and inclusive attitude. China believes that, in the final analysis, Chinese values and other main values have greater convergence than divergence. In the actual doing, China has redefined its core values, made them compatible with the Asian spirits, and aimed at the eventual forming of new global values.

III. Conclusion

In conclusion, the world is undergoing great and fundamental changes with great impacts to all members of the international society. In envisioning and planning the future, we should not only focus on the talks of the challenges but also on philosophical thinking and concrete efforts to meet these challenges. Let all of us be on the constructive side for a predictable and peaceful future. Therefore, we all need to continue work harder under the right guiding principles and proper practices so as to preserve and promote peace, development and win-win cooperation.

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