Page 5 - ON BUILDING A HUMAN COMMUNITY WITH A SHARED FUTURE

OPENNESS AND INNOVATION

transformation, and adjustment. Yet humankind still faces much
instability and uncertainty. A new technological and industrial revolution
is bringing both fresh opportunities and unprecedented challenges.
In some countries and regions, people are still living in the shadow
of war and conflict. Too many old people, women, and children are
still plagued by hunger and poverty. And climate change and major
communicable diseases remain formidable challenges. Humankind has
a major choice to make between openness and isolation, and between
progress and retreat.
In this complex and changing world, where are we headed? Where
lies the future of Asia? I believe that if we are to answer these questions
of a generation, we must, as we say in Chinese, not allow our vision to
be blocked by floating clouds, but dispel the clouds so we may see the
sun. In other words, we must grasp the objective laws of history and the
underlying trends of the world in which we live.
We live at a time in which the trend toward peace and cooperation
is overwhelming. In a world with such a strong common aspiration
for peace and development, a Cold War mentality and zero-sum
thinking seem all the more out of place. Becoming consumed with self-
importance or thinking only of one’s own interests will not get anyone
anywhere. Only peaceful development and cooperation can truly bring
win-win and multiple-win outcomes.
We live at a time in which the trend toward openness and
connectivity is overwhelming. History shows that openness brings
progress while seclusion leaves one behind. The world has become an
interdependent global village where every country’s economic and social
progress is increasingly interconnected with, influences, and is influenced
by the progress of others. To promote common prosperity and
development in today’s world, we have no choice but to pursue greater
connectivity and integrated development.
We live at a time in which the trend toward reform and innovation
is overwhelming. As far back as over 2,500 years ago, the Chinese people
had already come to recognize that to benefit the people one needn’t
follow the beaten path, and to get things done one needn’t observe
convention. Reform and innovation are the fundamental driving force
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of human progress. Those who reject them will be left behind and

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