China’s push for a shared future with its neighbors

By He Yin, People’s Daily

On April 19, China’s domestically developed C909 passenger jet began commercial operation in Vietnam, with tickets selling out quickly on the first day.

On April 15, Malaysian mobile data service company U Mobile signed a 5G cooperation agreement with Chinese tech companies to bolster Malaysia’s digital economy.

On April 17, China and Cambodia agreed to jointly build a secure and stable industrial and supply chain, helping transform Cambodia into a modern industrial hub.

These vivid examples reflect a broader trend: China is steadily expanding mutually beneficial cooperation with its neighboring countries, fostering a closer pattern of coordinated development. To build a better future with its neighbors, China remains committed to fostering an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood, guided by the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, inclusiveness in its neighborhood diplomacy, advocating for the building of a community with a shared future with neighboring countries.

As a member of the big Asian family and a responsible major country, China has long attached importance to its relations with its neighboring countries. It consistently follows the policy of developing friendship and partnership with its neighbors, and works to foster an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood, and promote regional peace, stability, development and prosperity – securing historic achievements and transformations in neighborhood work.

China’s approach to neighborhood diplomacy is rooted in ancient wisdom, which holds that “amity and good neighborliness are invaluable to a country” and that “good neighbors wish each other well.” In the modern context, that translates into the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness, which emphasize treating neighbors with sincerity and good faith, pursuing common development, expanding cooperation, and sharing the benefits of growth.

This philosophy, deeply embedded in China’s diplomatic tradition, also aligns with broader global trends and regional dynamics, demonstrating the cultural depth and distinctive character of Chinese diplomacy. Over the past decade, China has enriched and deepened these principles through practice, expanding friendly cooperation with neighboring countries and forging stronger bonds.

To date, China has reached a common understanding on building a community with a shared future with 17 neighboring countries, forming “two clusters” in the Indochina Peninsula and Central Asia respectively.

From accelerating the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, to building a high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with shared future, and to building an all-weather China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Southeast Asia yielded over 100 cooperation outcomes, charting a new blueprint for China’s neighborhood diplomacy and opening a new chapter in building a community with a shared future with neighboring countries.

The art of good-neighborliness lies in building trust and fostering mutual understanding. Guided by head-of-state diplomacy, China has prioritized mutual respect for each nation’s development paths, support for each other’s core interests, and cultivation of strategic mutual trust. China and its neighbors have stood together through challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and terrorism, and jointly responded to natural disasters like earthquakes and floods, forging enduring stories of solidarity and mutual support.

The foundation of regional peace lies in shared security and collective responsibility. China upholds the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. As the first ASEAN dialogue partner to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, the country has worked closely with regional countries to establish multi-level security dialogue and cooperation mechanisms. It has resolved historical boundary issues with 12 neighboring countries through negotiations and signed treaties of good-neighborliness and friendly cooperation with nine.

In the consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, China has been properly managing and settling differences through friendly negotiations, working with its neighbors to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea. It also plays an active role in bringing regional hotspot issues under control, contributing wisdom and strength to the political settlement.

The path to prosperity lies in shared opportunities and mutual benefit. By deepening development integration with its neighbors, building a high-level connectivity network, and intensifying mutually beneficial cooperation on trade and investment, China is advancing integrated development with neighboring countries.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has become the world’s largest regional organization in terms of geographical scale and population. The China-Central Asia Mechanism has become an important platform for deepening cooperation between China and Central Asian countries. Meanwhile, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism has played a key role in invigorating the development of the Lancang-Mekong Economic Development Belt.

Freight trains now crisscross Eurasia more efficiently via new China-Europe freight train routes. The construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is well underway, while the annual train volume on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has surpassed 10,000. Additionally, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership has further boosted regional economic integration. Through these projects, China has consistently propelled regional cooperation to deeper and more concrete levels.

China was, is, and will always be a good neighbor, good friend, and good partner to countries in the region. It will continue to cherish good-neighborly relations, working with its neighbors to create an even brighter future in line with the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, inclusiveness, and building a community with a shared future with neighboring countries.