BEIJING, Aug. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Facing profound changes and pressing challenges, the international community seeks fresh wisdom and practical solutions. China, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, plays a vital role in promoting common development, fostering dialogue among civilizations and enhancing global governance. The Global Times has launched a special series titled "Steering the New Era." Through in-depth conversations with renowned scholars and global dignitaries, the series explores China's development experiences and governance visions.

This is the first installment of the series, in which Erik Solheim (Solheim), former under-secretary-general of the UN and former executive director of the UN Environment Programme, shares his insights on how China contributes to shared development with Global Times (GT) reporter Li Aixin.

GT: "Putting the people front and center " is a key principle in China's development path. Are there examples that you have seen that reflect this principle in action? 

Solheim: Maybe the most outstanding example of that is Shenzhen. Shenzhen didn't exist 45 years ago, but the city has been constructed from the ground up into a huge industrial and high-tech hub.

When a city grows like that - Tokyo, New York and some European cities also grew rapidly in the past, and some African cities are growing fast today - there are usually many different kinds of problems.

But Shenzhen is a miraculously high-tech, green city. While growing this quickly, it has remained very people-friendly. It even has huge wetlands for birds right in the city center. They have 100 percent electric taxis and electric buses. They have a huge metro system and green buildings where trees are integrated into the structure, along with some fantastic green corridors along the rivers in Shenzhen.

From a nature perspective, it really is a wonderfully preserved city, and extremely people-friendly. If you make a people-centered city, it will be a successful city.

GT: How about China-led projects abroad? Are there any China-led projects abroad that have impressed you?

Solheim: There are many examples, but let me focus on one in Kenya because I lived there for quite a few years. In Kenya, China has constructed the Mombasa-Nairobi railroad, which is a wonderful project. When you go to Mombasa and then take the China-constructed railway to Nairobi, it feels like everything opens up. Everything is green, functioning well, and clean.

Since the route goes through some national parks, they had to take wildlife into consideration - the elephants, giraffes, and other large animals of Kenya. They made bypasses so that the animals could go over the railway or pass through tunnels underneath. It was done with a lot of care for Kenya's beautiful natural environment.

GT: Since China proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI), it has prioritized innovation, coordination, green development, openness and sharing. How do you understand the GDI? What role do you think it can play at a time when global cooperation is facing challenges?

Solheim: I see the GDI as a way of sharing with the world the fantastic experience of China's rapid poverty alleviation and economic development. In 1980, China was a poor country, with its GDP per capita far behind most other nations.

Now, Chinese people have been lifted out of poverty, and there's a very inspiring story about what China did to fight poverty. But it's also about how China can invest abroad and how we can all work together. I believe that the main hindrance to global development is when we don't collaborate. If we can work together, we will be much stronger - and China is demonstrating this by putting action behind its words.

A very strong symbol of this is the decision made in the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo held in Changsha, Central China's Hunan Province, in June, where China announced that it is ready to expand the zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines to all 53 African countries having diplomatic relations with China. Previously, China had opened its markets to the least developed countries in Africa, but now it's also opening up to middle-income countries like Egypt, Cote d'Ivoire and South Africa.

This is wonderful. It's an example that everyone should follow. This shows that China is taking the lead in demonstrating how much stronger we are when we work together.

GT: China is making great strides in promoting common development and a shared future. What challenges do you think the GDI faces, and amid these challenges, how do you see the GDI's future?

Solheim: When a nation rises economically, it also becomes more powerful. That's how the US became the No.1 power in the world. As China becomes more affluent, and develops rapidly in information technology, electric cars, solar panels and other important sectors, it will also become more powerful.

However, the only way other countries can do better is to learn from China. There are three perspectives that can be learned from China. First, determined leadership that puts development at the center - leadership that wants to improve the country day by day. Second, the involvement of business. Business can scale up efforts, create markets and drive economic development - as we've seen with companies like Tencent, Huawei, Alibaba, BYD and many others. Finally, there is a strong focus on education. When people are educated, they are able to rise out of poverty.

I encourage everyone to visit China - Shenzhen, Chengdu, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Beijing - and see for yourself, and learn. Other countries can compete with China - and this can happen in a friendly, not antagonistic, way. No one should fear China becoming stronger. On the contrary, we should be very happy that such a large part of humanity is rising out of poverty and becoming stronger.

GT: In a recent interview, you said that "more countries now see China as a reliable partner." Could you elaborate on that?

Solheim: We are moving into a multipolar world. It will be a better world, though potentially less stable, because there won't be just one power making all the decisions.

So how do we embrace that world? We need a global rules-based order. We need a truly global rules-based order, and I see China as a main power supporting such an order. There's a strong desire in Europe for a truly fair, rules-based global system. I think China and Europe should come together to help establish such an order. We also need a global economic free trade area with clear rules on how tariffs can be used, for example. This would create a world that is much better for everyone. I see China and Europe as the two pillars of such a rules-based global order.

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SOURCE Global Times