Interview: China creates opportunities for global prosperity, says Russian scholar

MOSCOW, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- China is creating development opportunities for the entire world, building a space conducive to growth not only for itself but also for its partners to achieve common wealth and prosperity, a Russian scholar has said.

"China contributes around 30 percent to global economic growth, demonstrating that its domestic development is closely linked to global prosperity," Ekaterina Zaklyazminskaya, a leading researcher at the Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Xinhua in an interview, highlighting China's crucial role in promoting global development.

She noted that the recommendations of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan of China, adopted at the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, send a positive signal that China is committed to expanding its high-level opening-up.

China's upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan is expected to place strong emphasis on green development, Zaklyazminskaya said, noting that China's efforts to promote ecological protection align with the vision of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."

She also stressed that China, as a front-runner in renewable energy, is actively expanding its role by helping other countries build wind and solar power plants.

According to Zaklyazminskaya, innovation will be another key focus of the 15th Five-Year Plan. "Despite external pressures, China has achieved notable breakthroughs in science and technology in recent years," she said. China is expected to continue upgrading its high-tech manufacturing sector, potentially delivering globally competitive products in areas such as smartphones, computers and automobiles during the coming 15th Five-Year Plan, she added.

China's contributions to the world also reflect its sense of global responsibility. "China invests in infrastructure and provides essential equipment to countries at early stages of industrialization, supporting the growth of their industrial sectors," she said.

With China's support, many Global South countries have witnessed the emergence of new enterprises, job opportunities and improved development prospects, she added, noting that China has also shared its experience in poverty alleviation.

The four major global initiatives proposed by China -- the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative -- are concrete steps toward realizing the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, Zaklyazminskaya said.

According to Zaklyazminskaya, China's way of achieving development moves away from dominance by a single major actor and toward true multipolarity. Voices of all countries should be heard and respected, so that each nation is free to pursue its own development path, she said.

"China envisions a global system that countries do not need to abandon their own characteristics or become pale replicas of the West," she said, adding that no country should be sanctioned for choosing its own development path.

Zaklyazminskaya said China aims to make the world a space of development, peace and harmony, where people of all nations can live in safety, enjoy development opportunities and engage in cross-cultural dialogue.

She also emphasized China's growing role in building a more just and equitable international order, and in supporting the creation of effective international governance institutions.

The International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) was officially inaugurated in Hong Kong, China, in October 2025, with representatives from over 30 countries that have signed or ratified the establishment convention, including China, Belarus, Serbia, Pakistan, Indonesia and Algeria.

"China's support for the IOMed further demonstrates that global development can be achieved through consensus rather than pressure," Zaklyazminskaya said.

She noted that the era of Western-centric models is gradually fading, giving way to a world marked by the coexistence and interaction of diverse civilizations, adding that China has a rich experience in uniting different peoples and cultures in today's world. ■