Xi's vision for a safer world

A RESPONSIBLE PLAYER

To help maintain world peace and security, the Chinese leader understands well that his country, now the world's second largest economy, has an increasingly important role to play.

At present, climate change is widely believed as one of the most pressing threats to human existence.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, the global average temperature is about 1.1 degree Celsius higher than the pre-industrial era and continues to rise. As a result, sea levels are rising at an accelerating pace, extreme events like droughts, forest fires, floods, major storms, have doubled since 1990, and some 1,688 endangered species of animals and plants have been negatively affected.

China's decision to join the Paris Agreement, as well as its actions to implement the landmark environmental pact signed by 195 countries, has shown that it intends to abide by its due responsibilities as a key member of the international community.

In his phone conversation to congratulate Emmanuel Macron on his election as French president last month, Xi said China will continue to stick to the climate agreement, which seeks to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Xie Zhenhua, China's special representative on climate change, said last month at the 8th Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin that Beijing has taken a series of restrictive measures in the 13th Five-Year- Plan, including reducing 18 percent of carbon intensity and raising the proportion of non-fossil energy in primary energy to 15 percent from 2016 to 2020.

DEVELOPMENT, THE ULTIMATE REMEDY

For the Chinese leader, the ultimate path toward a safer and more peaceful world lies in promoting a fairer social development and faster economic growth in those poor and crisis-ridden regions.

"Development holds the master key to solving all problems," Xi said in his keynote speech at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation last month in Beijing.

According to a research paper done by the Brookings Institute this March, the lack of adequate employment opportunities for educated individuals is fueling violent extremism among the general population.

While visiting the Arab League in January last year, the Chinese president said "only when young people are able to live a fulfilled life with dignity through development can hope prevail in their heart. Only then will they voluntarily reject violence, extremist ideologies and terrorism."

"If you cannot address social problems like poverty, then you will have to face a lot of security challenges," said Asanga, the Sri Lankan scholar.

That is exactly why Xi proposed in 2013 the Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to bring real benefits to and spur development for all countries that sign up.

Suleyman Sensoy, head of the Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies, said the projects within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative are an important platform that offers an opportunity for Mideast countries to create their own dynamism by boosting common trade, development and welfare rather than just offering financial help.

At the Belt and Road forum in Beijing, Xi said humankind has reached an age of great progress, great transformation and profound changes. Still, he is confident that "the trend toward peace and development will become stronger."

"Never have we seen such close interdependence among countries as today, such fervent desire of people for a better life, and never have we had so many means to prevail over difficulties," he said.