Regard the Thousand Gold Again, 【 Guangming Forum · Memories 】 Chang'an Joins Hands with Central Asia | China | Regard the Thousand Gold Again

【 Guangming Forum · Reflections 】

Authors: Meng Qinglei and Mao Zhongming

In the weight of "heavy gold", there is not only the deep gaze of the Silk Road's "hollowing out", but also the rich accumulation of diplomacy among major powers in the new era.

The poem "To Cui Shilang" by Li Bai, a Tang Dynasty poet in China, reads: "Let's work together in Chang'an and pay more attention to the precious wealth.". In this poem, the poet interweaves lamenting his background with expressing friendship, depicting his meeting and parting with Cui Shilang, and expressing his longing for each other. The meaning of "Chang'an joining hands again and valuing a thousand gold" is that when we meet again in Chang'an this night, it is more expensive than a thousand gold.

Why choose to go to "Chang'an" and "Rejoin Hands"? Because the ancient capital Chang'an carries profound connotations of economic, trade, and cultural exchanges.More than 2100 years ago, Chinese Han Dynasty envoy Zhang Qian set off from Chang'an to the Western Regions, opening the door to friendly exchanges between China and Central Asia. For thousands of years, China, together with the people of all ethnic groups in Central Asia, has promoted the rise and prosperity of the Silk Road, making historic contributions to the exchange, integration, and rich development of world civilizations. More than 2100 years later, the leaders of the six countries gathered in Xi'an to continue their millennium old friendship and open up a new future, which has profound historical and significant practical significance.

Currently, the century long changes are accelerating, and the world, times, and history are unfolding in unprecedented ways. Central Asia is the center of the Eurasian continent, located at a crossroads that connects east and west and runs through north and south.The "Four Adherences" provide value guidance for China's economic and trade cooperation with Central Asian countries, and also provide a new paradigm for world neighborly friendship.

China has enormous potential for economic and trade cooperation with Central Asian countries. In the current challenges of major changes in international economic and trade relations and major adjustments in international investment rules, how can we start from "Chang'an" and "work together" to create economic and trade benefits that "prioritize wealth"? The author has four suggestions.

First of all, we need to weave a strong bond of mutual support. "Being friendly and kind to our neighbors is also a treasure of our country." We should fully leverage the leadership role of the head of state's diplomatic strategy, hold regular high-level meetings, strengthen direct exchanges between leaders of China and the five Central Asian countries, hold consultations on issues of common concern, and provide strategic guidance for economic and trade cooperation. "Once laws and regulations are implemented and discipline is self righteous, there will be no country without rule and no people without transformation." Based on the "the Belt and Road" initiative, we should expand bilateral and multilateral economic and trade cooperation, jointly adjust or formulate relevant laws and regulations under the principle of mutual respect for sovereignty, increase legislative transparency, improve the predictability and stability of policies, and create a good rule of law environment for multilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Secondly, we need to cultivate our strengths for common development. In recent years, in China's economic and trade cooperation with Central Asia, the industrial advantages of various countries have not been fully utilized and extended, and the trade structure urgently needs to be further optimized. Chinese enterprises need to widely participate in infrastructure construction and energy resource development in Central Asian countries, and guide Central Asian enterprises to enter the Chinese market, increase exchanges and interactions between the two sides in fields such as minerals, chemical industry, and manufacturing, fully leverage the complementary effect of economic structure between China and Central Asian countries, and promote coordinated development of industrial chains.

Once again, we need to improve the level of trade security. China has always attached great importance to the core interests of independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in Central Asia, and opposes foreign interference and the implementation of any "color revolution". Our country advocates multilateralism and upholds the spirit of good neighborly friendship. We should work together with Central Asian countries and other relevant parties to create a new situation of harmonious and stable security development, and work together to build a community that is far from conflict and forever peaceful. This deep cooperation can not only enhance mutual interests, but also strengthen strategic mutual trust, jointly resist external risks and challenges, and provide a more solid foundation for future cooperation.

Finally, we need to strengthen interconnectivity. We should strengthen extensive exchanges and cooperation with Central Asian countries at multiple levels and in a wide range of fields, in order to deepen mutual understanding, build brotherly relationships for generations, and eliminate cultural alienation. Brothers work together, and their benefits cut off gold. In the future, we will have unlimited opportunities to further deepen high-quality economic and trade cooperation, and the beautiful blueprint of inclusive connectivity and sustainable development will become a vivid reality.

Guangming Daily

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