What China has taught me about cooperation

My relationship with China spans more than 20 years, and during this time I have absorbed many habits and perspectives that have profoundly influenced my outlook on life, development and international cooperation. Much of that influence lies not in grand theories, but in the daily details of life.

My family often laughs at me because drinking a cup of hot water is my remedy to every ailment. It is a simple habit I picked up in China, perhaps unwittingly.

But beyond these small habits lies a deeper understanding of how people and countries can work together, a perspective shaped significantly by China's culture and philosophy.

As Somalia's ambassador to China, I have been particularly influenced by the concept of "harmony in diversity". This principle, which I have come to appreciate deeply, does not mean enforcing uniformity or compelling others to obey a single set of rules. It is about accepting differences while finding common ground, so that people can move in the same direction in harmony and embark on broader cooperation.

When I first came to China, I was driven by personal goals: earning a bachelor's degree by a certain age, followed by a master's degree, and eventually a doctorate.

My first stop was Beijing, and from there I took a train to Yangzhou in Jiangsu province. It was a long journey, with the old-fashioned train stopping every half an hour.

I was in a sleeper car and got off at every stop to ask the conductor, "Are we in Yangzhou yet?" The answer was always: no, no, no.

Today, the same journey from Beijing to Yangzhou takes around five hours by bullet train, a testament to the phenomenal progress made by China in just a few decades.

Many people say China's development is a miracle. But I do not think "miracle" fully describes what we are seeing. Many people have worked very hard, and worked together, to make this happen.

China has shown me how a country can handle problems, keep moving forward and turn long-term effort into tangible change in people's everyday lives.

This has also shaped my understanding of the concept of "harmony in diversity". There is a similar idea in traditional Somali culture.

If everyone can gather under a tree, put all their issues on the table and talk, they can resolve their differences.

This is especially important today, as Somalia and China have elevated their bilateral ties to a strategic partnership amid Somalia's major reconstruction efforts. There are many areas of cooperation that need to be pushed forward, and that responsibility weighs heavily on me.

In China, I have observed an approach that begins by listening to a partner's needs and then tailoring solutions accordingly.

The goal is not simply to solve a problem for someone, but to empower others to solve future problems. As the saying goes, "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day; teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime."

This philosophy resonates with Somalia's development journey. The bustling hub of Lido Beach in Mogadishu symbolizes Somalia's reconstruction.

No one could have imagined such a scene in the past. Chinese infrastructure projects have played an important role in Somalia, including a major highway built in the 1970s and still in use today. It's an approach that looks to the future and empowers people to pull themselves out of their plight.

Against this background, I recommended in late 2016 or early 2017 that Somalia join the Belt and Road Initiative.

In 2018, I had the honor of accompanying the then president of Somalia to China to sign the memorandum of understanding for our participation in the initiative.

My bond with China, therefore, is not only about the changes I have witnessed over the past two decades.

It is also about what those experiences have taught me about cooperation. Governance at its core is not about systems or acronyms. It is about people, and ensuring that nations on the margins feel included at the table.

Global governance should be an invitation for everyone to understand and learn from one another, not a fixed formula that everyone must follow.

An open approach means accepting differences, finding common ground and promoting cooperation in ways that allow human civilization as a whole to move forward.

The author is the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Somalia to China. This article is based on an interview by Jiao Jie for China Daily's "Hello, Diplomat" series.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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