InterviewSeries:CommunitywithaSharedFutureforMankindEP01:DavidFergusononChina'sdiplomaticphilosophyintheneweraInthesummerof2022,the4thvolumeofXiJinping:TheGovernanceofChinawaspublished.2022alsomarksthe16thyearofitsEnglisheditor,DavidFerguson'slifeinChina.BeforebecomingtheEnglisheditorofsuchanimportantseries,Mr.FergusonhadalsoworkedasareporterinChina,dedicatedtotellingamorebalancedstoryaboutthecountry,onethatcapturesthetruthwithfirst-handexperienceratherthanhypothesis.Today,facingthedrasticchangesintheinternationalcommunity,weareveryhonouredtohaveachancetospeakwithMr.Ferguson,andhearhisunderstandingofaglobalcommunityofsharedfuture.Q:So,Mr.Ferguson,thanksforjoiningus.DavidFerguson:I’mdelightedtobehere.Q:So,theexperienceofeditingXiJinping:TheGovernanceofChinamusthavegivenyousomein-depthinsightsintoXi’sthoughts.What’syourgeneralimpressionofChina’sdiplomaticphilosophyinthenewera?DavidFerguson:Ithink,oneofthemostinterestingaspectsofPresidentXi’sdiplomaticthoughtisthatChinaisandcontinuestoseeitselfasadevelopingcountry.China’seconomyisnowthesecondbiggestintheworld,shortlytobecomethebiggest,butoverall,Chinaisstilladevelopingcountry.Andit’sveryimportant,andIthinkinteresting,toseethatChinastillseesitselfasaspokespersonforthedevelopingworld.Chinaitselfisdevelopingveryfast,butunlikeothercountriesinhistory,Chinaisnottryingtodevelopinordertojointheranksofthepowerful.Chinaisnottryingtocreatepowerblocstofurtheritsowninterests.Chinaalwaystalksabouttheimportanceofgivingdevelopingcountriesavoice.AndChinaalwaysemphasisesthatitsowndevelopmentistoallowitsfriendsanditsneighbourstoboardthetrainandcontinueonthejourneytowardssharedprosperity.Q:Thankyou.So,what’syourunderstandingoftheconceptofaglobalcommunityofsharedfuture,andhowwouldyoucommentonthisconcept?DavidFerguson:Well,therearethreeelementsto“globalcommunityofasharedfuture”.Oneis“global”,oneis“community”,andoneis“sharedfuture”.Thepointabout“global”isthatit’sforall.Andthepointabout“sharedfuture”isthatPresidentXialwaysemphasises,hespeaksalotaboutthisstrategy,aboutthisconcept.Hetalksalottointernationalaudiencesandhealwaysemphasisesthatweallshareacommondestiny.Weallshare,weallhaveasharedfuturewhetherwelikeitornot.Andthatisthecontextinwhichwehavetowork,whichwehavetooperate.AndwhatChina’sstrategyinvolvesandwhatPresidentXiistalkingaboutisthatthirdelement“community”.Becausewhatwedon’thaveisacommunityintherespectsandadaptstothefactthatwesharethatcommondestinythatwesuresharethatcommonfuture.So,buildingaglobalcommunityofashardfuturemeansrecognizingthatit’sforall,recognizingthatwehaveasharedfutureandfocusingonthatthirdpart,buildingacommunitywherewe’reallactingtogetherinthemutualinterestsofeveryone.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.