Reporter：I’d like to bring up some of the recent initiatives proposed by China’s top leadership: the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative.
We know that Professor Jiang attended the Munich Security Conference earlier this year, where you listened to debates and discussions firsthand on how to build an impactful platform for global peace — a shared pursuit of peace in this world.
Could you tell us about some of your observations? How could these initiatives help build consensus between China and Europe to pursue that goal?
Jiang Feng：China has always viewed Europe as a very important partner — even a comprehensive partner. From China’s perspective, Europe plays a vital role in fostering cooperation and mutual understanding. However, it seems that in return, Europe’s perception of China has been shifting. Europe increasingly sees China not only as a partner or competitor, but also as a systemic rival.
There’s a saying: “If you look at the world like a hammer, you see everything as a nail.” If you want to find friction in the world, you certainly can — but at the end of the day, it’s crucial to keep in mind that how we choose to see each other matters.
If we see each other as partners, we can find more areas of common ground and more opportunities to work together. That’s essential for building mutual trust. But if we regard each other as rivals or even enemies, then ultimately, we will only end up with more conflicts — or even worse.
That, I think, is the key point. It’s very important for China and Europe to learn more from each other, and to stay optimistic about the possibility of working together. In today’s world, there is really no alternative: we have to walk this path together. Cooperation is the only way to survive; otherwise, the world will become increasingly divided and could end up self-destructing.
So, this is the responsibility that everyone — especially politicians in Europe, in China, and around the world — should be aware of.
Author | Jiang Feng ，Professor at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU)
Source| CGTN，Jul. 4th, 2025
