Reading with Xi Jinping | My Chinese Neighbour's Child

"Beloved land, imbue them with your sacred guidance.

Their heart is your sky.

Their blood, you rivers.

Their breath, your air."

In his poem My Chinese Neighbour's Child, famous Malaysian poet Usman Awang described the scene of a Malaysian child and a Chinese child playing together, expressing the idea of humanity belongs to one community with a shared future.

As a prestigious poet, dramatist, and novelist, Usman Awang won the Southeast Asian Writers Award in 1982 and received the Malaysian National Laureate in 1983.

Many of his works feature themes about common values of humanity and depict friendship that transcends race, religion and culture.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping said, "The human race is an integral community and Earth is our common homeland. No person or country can thrive in isolation. Humanity should overcome difficulties in solidarity and pursue common development in harmony. We should keep moving toward a community with a shared future for mankind, and jointly create a better future."

On the evening of Nov. 20, 2020, President Xi delivered a speech titled "Working Together for an Asia-Pacific Community with a Shared Future" at the 27th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting via video link.

In his speech, he quoted a Malay proverb “to climb the hill together and go down the ravine together,” and pointed out that it aptly captures the spirit of our Asia-Pacific family.

The world today is full of uncertainties and people long for a bright future but are bewildered about what will come.

What has happened to the world and how should we respond?

China's proposition is: build a community of shared future for mankind and achieve shared and win-win development.

What we can learn from both past and present is that dialogue and consultation is an effective way to bridge differences and political negotiation is the fundamental solution to end conflicts. When we have sincere wish, goodwill and political wisdom, no conflict is too big to settle and no ice is too thick to break.

Only solidarity and cooperation can enable us to prevail over challenges.