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China’s ‘Shared Future’
The U.S. fears that China's growth will lead to a competition between the countries over hegemony on earth.
But China rejects hegemony. No only the one the U.S. is obviously trying to achieve but, more general, also for itself.
Yesterday the Global Times editorial pointed to a new guideline paper issued by China's State Council:
On September 26, China's State Council Information Office released a white paper titled "A Global Community of Shared Future: China's Proposals and Actions." Against the backdrop of the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping's proposal of building a global community of shared future, China has introduced the theoretical base, practice and development of a global community of shared future, and points the way toward a better future for the world. Anyone, be they are developing countries seeking to learn from China or individuals from Western countries who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of China, will find inspiration in it as long as they approach it without biased views.
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Human society is now facing a "life-or-death choice:" whether to enter into a vicious cycle of continuous confrontation and division or to seek a path of cooperation and win-win, ultimately allowing more than 7 billion people to have a better life. The whole world is searching for answers. This also confirms the highly prescient and forward-looking nature of the concept of a global community of shared future.
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Today's world has become a community of shared future, with countries riding together on a ship of shared fate. A small boat cannot withstand the wind and waves, only a giant vessel can withstand the stormy seas. No matter how powerful a country may be, it cannot dominate the world alone and must engage in global cooperation.
As the white paper says, "This is an integrated world. Those who turn their back on it will have no place in it." In such a world, the true power that transcends time is contained in the silent and subtle ideas, just like the practical greatness demonstrated by the concept of global community of shared future.
The paper is available here.
It is 22,000 words long but quite readable. It is a recipe for a just and equalitarian world that will peacefully develop for everyone while allowing for a diversity of cultures and ideologies. It is thus building on China's decade old concept of a Community of Common Destiny for Mankind.
The most interesting part is probably this paragraph:
There is no iron law that dictates that a rising power will inevitably seek hegemony. This assumption represents typical hegemonic thinking and is grounded in memories of catastrophic wars between hegemonic powers in the past. China has never accepted that once a country becomes strong enough, it will invariably seek hegemony. China understands the lesson of history – that hegemony preludes decline. We pursue development and revitalization through our own efforts, rather than invasion or expansion. And everything we do is for the purpose of providing a better life for our people, all the while creating more development opportunities for the entire world, not in order to supersede or subjugate others.
Other strategic statements by China, like the one issued in 2013 that laid the ground for its Belt and Road program, had been dismissed when they were issued. But the record shows that China acts on such programs exactly as its papers promise to do. It profits from doing so.
Is its thesis in this new paper, that hegemony preludes decline, valid?
Should we therefore trust its claims that it rejects hegemony, not only of others but also for itself?
Latest export from China….
From Twitter Post….
Many inquiries have been made after a video was released showing how “straw checkerboard sand barriers” are planted in China’s desert to combat desertification.
For starters, the straw checkerboard sand barriers can only halt the progression of the desert. Grass and vegetation are planted inside the straw squares to prevent desertification indefinitely. The seed inside the straw square will be dragged up by the wind and spread to the inner borders of the straw barriers. The grass will flourish with sufficient moisture, and the decomposing straw will act as a natural fertilizer.
The straw barriers will decompose for three years, and live “grass checkerboard sand barriers” will replace them, turning the dunes back to green.
The approach was developed over 60 years ago. While many new technologies and machinery are being developed to help with anti-desertification in China, it remains one of the most effective and low-cost ways to combat desertification.
Most “straw checkerboard sand barriers” are now planted by machines, although human labour is still required on particularly steep slopes or shifting sand dunes. Young people today lack interest in such work; thus, the elderly and housewives are the ones who are currently plating the straw squares in the desert.
Tang Xining, a 57-year-old scientist fighting desertification in Ningxia for over 33 years, has designed some simple equipment to assist them in planting the straw sand barriers. Below is a video introducing his creations.
Many developing nations can use these cheap and effective methods to combat desertification.
Villagers use Tang Ximing’s method to control the expansion of the Tengger Desert with grass grids in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. CHINA DAILY
According to Tang Ximing, deputy head of the Zhongwei Sand Control Forestry Center, Zhongwei city in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region has made great progress in its battle against desertification, with the total sand-controlled area reaching 100,000 hectares this year.
“Now, sand-fixing tree species like wormwood are growing in straw checkerboards in the southeastern Tengger Desert,” Tang said.
The 55-year-old man has devoted 30 years to fighting desertification in Zhongwei and has helped develop an efficient method for fixing sand in place, which has increased tree survival rates by 25 percent.
The Baotou-Lanzhou Railway, China’s first desert railway and which crosses the Tengger, opened in 1958. Trains were often forced to stop due to frequent sandstorms. To ensure normal operations and protect people living near the desert, several generations began to explore methods of sand control.
Born in Zhongwei city, Tang suffered from sandstorms so strong, they “sometimes blew people into the canal” and covered rice bowls in a dusting of sand.
He studied forestry at college and returned to his hometown after graduation in 1991, taking up a career in sand-control at a local forest farm.
The old way of using grass to fix the sand in place didn’t work, as the grass was blown away by the wind. By accident, Tang and his colleagues discovered that wheat straw was able to stabilize the sand for several days.
“Scientists tested out straw squares of various shapes and sizes. After years of experiments, they found that straw checkerboards of about 1 meter by 1 meter were most effective, and cheapest,” Tang said.
In 2015, he tried sowing grass seeds around the checkerboards to build up a grass grid. The roots of xerophytes plants that are naturally adapted to harsh conditions, are able to tap into deep underground water sources and, in this way, play a permanent role in fixing sand, he said.
However, the use of traditional spades for planting trees resulted in water loss and a low survival rate. “Because spade-dug pits tend to be shallow, when the tree is planted, its roots aren’t able to absorb water in the dry, sand layer,” Tang said.
After three years of research, Tang and his colleagues developed a new tool, which increases survival rates by 25 percent. Saplings are planted in a matter of seconds by forking their roots through one end of the 1-meter-long iron tool, and plunging it straight into the sand with one foot on the crossbar.
“This halves labor costs,” Tang said. It took two years to turn the desert into an oasis, and it will become a forest in five years, he added.
The sand-control area in Zhongwei now covers 100,000 hectares and should keep increasing by 5,300 hectares every year.
I have seen many videos which show expansion of this technique most recently to Niger….
Niger????
Are the Chinese bringing de-desertification techniques to the Sahel????
Those pesky Chinese…!!
INDY
Posted by: Dr. George W Oprisko | Sep 28 2023 14:23 utc | 145
Latest export from China….
From Twitter Post….
Many inquiries have been made after a video was released showing how “straw checkerboard sand barriers” are planted in China’s desert to combat desertification.
For starters, the straw checkerboard sand barriers can only halt the progression of the desert. Grass and vegetation are planted inside the straw squares to prevent desertification indefinitely. The seed inside the straw square will be dragged up by the wind and spread to the inner borders of the straw barriers. The grass will flourish with sufficient moisture, and the decomposing straw will act as a natural fertilizer.
The straw barriers will decompose for three years, and live “grass checkerboard sand barriers” will replace them, turning the dunes back to green.
The approach was developed over 60 years ago. While many new technologies and machinery are being developed to help with anti-desertification in China, it remains one of the most effective and low-cost ways to combat desertification.
Most “straw checkerboard sand barriers” are now planted by machines, although human labour is still required on particularly steep slopes or shifting sand dunes. Young people today lack interest in such work; thus, the elderly and housewives are the ones who are currently plating the straw squares in the desert.
Tang Xining, a 57-year-old scientist fighting desertification in Ningxia for over 33 years, has designed some simple equipment to assist them in planting the straw sand barriers. Below is a video introducing his creations.
Many developing nations can use these cheap and effective methods to combat desertification.
Villagers use Tang Ximing’s method to control the expansion of the Tengger Desert with grass grids in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. CHINA DAILY
According to Tang Ximing, deputy head of the Zhongwei Sand Control Forestry Center, Zhongwei city in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region has made great progress in its battle against desertification, with the total sand-controlled area reaching 100,000 hectares this year.
“Now, sand-fixing tree species like wormwood are growing in straw checkerboards in the southeastern Tengger Desert,” Tang said.
The 55-year-old man has devoted 30 years to fighting desertification in Zhongwei and has helped develop an efficient method for fixing sand in place, which has increased tree survival rates by 25 percent.
The Baotou-Lanzhou Railway, China’s first desert railway and which crosses the Tengger, opened in 1958. Trains were often forced to stop due to frequent sandstorms. To ensure normal operations and protect people living near the desert, several generations began to explore methods of sand control.
Born in Zhongwei city, Tang suffered from sandstorms so strong, they “sometimes blew people into the canal” and covered rice bowls in a dusting of sand.
He studied forestry at college and returned to his hometown after graduation in 1991, taking up a career in sand-control at a local forest farm.
The old way of using grass to fix the sand in place didn’t work, as the grass was blown away by the wind. By accident, Tang and his colleagues discovered that wheat straw was able to stabilize the sand for several days.
“Scientists tested out straw squares of various shapes and sizes. After years of experiments, they found that straw checkerboards of about 1 meter by 1 meter were most effective, and cheapest,” Tang said.
In 2015, he tried sowing grass seeds around the checkerboards to build up a grass grid. The roots of xerophytes plants that are naturally adapted to harsh conditions, are able to tap into deep underground water sources and, in this way, play a permanent role in fixing sand, he said.
However, the use of traditional spades for planting trees resulted in water loss and a low survival rate. “Because spade-dug pits tend to be shallow, when the tree is planted, its roots aren’t able to absorb water in the dry, sand layer,” Tang said.
After three years of research, Tang and his colleagues developed a new tool, which increases survival rates by 25 percent. Saplings are planted in a matter of seconds by forking their roots through one end of the 1-meter-long iron tool, and plunging it straight into the sand with one foot on the crossbar.
“This halves labor costs,” Tang said. It took two years to turn the desert into an oasis, and it will become a forest in five years, he added.
The sand-control area in Zhongwei now covers 100,000 hectares and should keep increasing by 5,300 hectares every year.
I have seen many videos which show expansion of this technique most recently to Niger….
Niger????
Are the Chinese bringing de-desertification techniques to the Sahel????
Those pesky Chinese…!!
INDY
Posted by: Dr. George W Oprisko | Sep 28 2023 14:23 utc | 146
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