NEW DELHI: China’s President Xi Jinping has unveiled three big ideas covering global development, security and civilization. These are the product of China’s experience of the world in recent years and also reflect its concern over the turbulence in great power relationships, says Manoj Kewalramani, China scholar at the Takshashila Institution. In this conversation on The Gist, Kewalramani says the Global Development Initiative suggests Beijing is learning lessons from a decade of the Belt & Road Initiative, which is now facing a backlash worldwide. Amid accusations of seeking to indebt and exploit poorer countries, Beijing is now pushing a more multilateral approach involving global institutions. The Global Security Initiative is pitched as a “non-bloc” effort, one which does not require countries to subscribe to any group. China will provide help in areas like cybersecurity and train personnel in internal security and intelligence gathering and so on. The Civilization Initiative underscores the many paths to development but makes the case that liberalism, freedom of speech etc are Western concepts. Individual civilizations must decide for themselves what is most suitable, which raises many questions. It suggests that the Taliban approach of refusing education for Afghan women is fine. It may give encouragement to some of the most regressive sections of society. Tune in for more in this conversation with Manoj Kewalramani of the Takshashila Institution.
