Wei Wei

Opinion | World in crisis needs more leaders to embrace China’s ‘big family’ vision

China’s collectivist world view isn’t about undermining individuality but about emphasising interdependence. The idea could reshape global governance

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Chinese President Xi Jinping with other world leaders at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 18. Photo: Reuters

Wei Wei

Published: 9:30am, 24 Nov 2024Updated: 10:31am, 24 Nov 2024

This week, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a speech in Brazil titled “Building a just world of common development”, at the G20 summit’s first session on the global fight against hunger and poverty. He spoke of China’s poverty elimination campaign and its commitment to bringing common development and prosperity to the world.

“Common” is a keyword in China’s policies. “Common prosperity” and “common development” might sound like communist slogans, but in China, they are rallying cries for something deeply ingrained. When China talks about “a community with a shared future for mankind”, it is not diplomatic jargon – it is a reflection of how Chinese people see the world: as one big family.

Consider how we say hello to a group of people. In Chinese, we say da jia hao – literally “big family, hello”. It reflects the collective perspective, where individuals are seen as interconnected parts of a whole. Contrast that with the English “Hello, everyone” and its emphasis on individuality – greeting every one of you.

The idea of people as one big family is a philosophy that runs through Chinese society, shaping everything from family life to national policy. The Confucian ideal of a Great Unity envisions a utopian world of harmony where all resources are shared.

Xi’s vision of common prosperity is an echo of this age-old ideal. In his book Up and Out of Poverty, Xi wrote about his time (1988-1990) in Ningde, one of China’s poorest regions, in Fujian province. There, he emphasised community-driven efforts to address poverty. His strategy wasn’t about quick fixes; it was about empowering local people, building infrastructure and fostering industries for long-term growth.

This approach to poverty alleviation has been scaled up nationally. As Xi pointed out in his speech, China has lifted 800 million people out of poverty, meeting the target under the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule. This is a testament to vision in action. Xi has made it clear that prosperity for a few isn’t enough. The goal is to ensure everyone benefits from China’s development.