Taking inspiration from the friendly emissaries of the ancient Silk Road

In his opening address to the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing on Sunday, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke of the need for harmonious coexistence, saying there is a "deficit" in peace, development and governance that needs to be overcome.

At an important juncture such as this, it serves us well to reflect on how we got here before we think about how to move forward. The prosperity of developed nations, which is celebrated as a characteristic of their "advancement", was built on militarism and colonization. The greed and self-serving agendas of many of today's developed nations have left them fighting among themselves over the most trivial of things.

China stands ready to drive the development of Asia, Europe and Africa, with an agenda based on the spirit of the ancient Silk Road, which embodies peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit.