China will play a global-leading role in development thanks to President Xi Jinping's strategic vision and perspective, said former New Zealand Prime Minister Jenny Shipley in an exclusive interview with China Media Group (CMG) aired on Friday
Speaking about the global initiatives proposed by President Xi, including the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, Shipley said China has laid out important pathways to share its proven experience in development.
"There are a number of development initiatives, and China's got a good story to tell. The development initiative is sharing China's experience and knowledge, and there are no countries that can match China's performance within the social development goals or the sustainable development goals. And China's insight and suggestions have to be taken seriously, because they have also been able to demonstrate that if you apply these ideas, you can lift people out of poverty by offering them education, finding work for them, ensuring that their housing and social circumstances are improving," she said.
Shipley said President Xi's leadership has not only benefited the Chinese people, but also made important contributions to global common development.
"President Xi's vision is not only what's been good for China, but also connecting people to markets and markets to people. I was present at Boao when President Xi came many years ago and talked about Belt and Road. And I was very curious. I mean, it's been a very vision, if people are connected to markets and markets to people, they have the opportunity to prosper. And I think that vision of connecting continents together has been one of the great gifts that the president has prompted us to think about, not just insular and our own interest, but trying to see whether we can do well and lift others," said the former Prime Minister.
"The other thing that I've got great admiration for is, he (President Xi) is very strategic. I watch the rolling out of infrastructure in a way that's anticipating the future. Very few nations have either the capacity, the financial and engineering capacity, let alone the leadership to have such a degree of focus that in order to be enabled as a nation we need these layers of capability and your 5G and soon 6G networks and your transport infrastructure. So I have a lot of admiration, you will be leading the world, not following the world because of some of the inspirational suggestions that he has been able to make," she added.
Former New Zealand PM praises Xi's strategic vision
