Xi Story: A Swiss army knife for the world

Imagine, Xi Jinping stated in a 2017 speech at the Palace of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, if a universal tool was available that could help remedy the global issues of our times.

“I cannot help thinking how wonderful it would be if an exquisite Swiss army knife could be made for our world affairs. When there is a problem, we can use the knife to fix it,” the Chinese president told a high-level meeting at the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The resonating speech, presented as the world was at a junction between multilateralism and isolationism, openness, and protectionism, the analogy prefaced a Chinese proposal on peace, development, and communication: A community of shared future for humanity.

“All countries should jointly shape the future of the world, write international rules, manage global affairs and ensure that development outcomes are shared by all,” Xi said.

The response was overwhelmingly positive.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pledged that the United Nations would join China in promoting world peace and development, and in realizing the goal of building a community of shared future for humanity.

Michael Moller, then director-general of the United Nations Office at Geneva, hailed China’s role as a catalyst and as one “showing the way forward” in promoting the construction of a better world.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the United Nations.

Over the years, as its international status grew, China has contributed its wisdom and solutions for a better global governance system, in a growing number of spheres, ranging from nuclear security, sustainable development to climate change.

On October 25, at a conference marking the restoration of the PRC’s lawful seat in the UN, Xi again called on countries to follow the prevailing trend of history, choose cooperation over confrontation, openness over seclusion, and mutual benefit over zero-sum games, and stay firm in opposing all forms of hegemony and power politics, as well as all forms of unilateralism and protectionism.

China may have proposed the tool, but success relies on the way that it is wielded, said Xi in his 2017 speech. “I believe that with unremitting efforts of the international community, such a [Swiss army] knife can be made.”

Together, the world is stronger.