Abstract
Education offers a unique lens through which one can view the relationship between China and the world. Indeed, by its very nature, education builds connections between countries on a global scale, linking them politically, economically, and culturally. In terms of education, China's relationship with the world continues to be influenced and shaped by the globalization agenda (Hout & Ghemawat, 2010). This relationship was very complicated in 2022, particularly in terms of (1) the relationship between China's educational strategies and the development of global education, and (2) the approach to modernizing education in China in the context of unprecedented global changes. Later, education will enter a new phase, with China facing both new opportunities and challenges as it continues to advance its rejuvenation amid global changes. Educational cooperation and exchanges between China and the rest of the world have been greatly affected by the pandemic as well as by the strategic competition between China and the United States. Rather than a merely symbolic reference to the global state of affairs, China's global vision of education seeks to address its various educational challenges from a broader, global perspective. In this essay, I focus on China's global vision of education in the face of global changes.
Amid such changes, a key topic of discussion is how education in China serves the human community with a shared future. Through a global lens, the discussion of this topic defines education in China more broadly, raising theoretical implications for global education and its governance. Education is closely related to the human community with a shared future. Given such a close relationship, education should play a positive role in the construction of the human community with a shared future, though the role of education for the community of human destiny also depends on its own strength. As an education initiative proposed by China with global impact, it covers a wide range of topics, including education for a new worldview, education for common values of humanity, education for an (Asian) geopolitical community with a shared future, education on the spirit of the Silk Road, education on the Shanghai Spirit, education on the Belt and Road Initiative, education for a community of all life on earth, education for the maritime community with a shared future, education for a community of common health for humanity, and education for a security community for humankind. Education for the community with a shared future for mankind powers China with more composure in the face of the world's great changes unseen in a century.
Geo-education extends theories related to the politics of education, while providing a basis for cross-border educational cooperation and increasing the openness of education from a geopolitical perspective (Wang & Zhang, 2020). As such, the role of geo-education in improving China's position in the world deserves more attention.
Geopolitical education often occurs in international gateways, providing China with geographical advantages in enhancing education collaboration with cultural and economic impact in these areas. This represents a new global perspective and a change in China's approach to education as means of broadening the scope of international relations. The value of geopolitical education is reflected in its unique role in supporting the effective implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative. Drawing on the geopolitical context of various cultures, it can facilitate communication and foster a deeper understanding between countries with different ideas and systems, including those related to culture, civilization, philosophy, and the humanities.
In the context of unprecedented changes worldwide, driving innovation in education has become a pressing issue in China's education system (The World Bank, 2013). In China, there are numerous obstacles to the development of science and technology and the cultivation of personnel, including a lack of self-reliance in core technologies and a marked lack of top scientists in basic sciences and voices in the humanities and social sciences. These issues are due to protectionism, which resulted in the cross-cutting of technologies in education, unilateralism in international personnel exchange, hegemonic discourses in the fields of science and technology, and malicious ideological infiltration. To directly address the issue of innovation, we need to move beyond the conventional training of high-tech technicians and engineers and implement the “Trinity” development strategy, which emphasizes the synergy of “education, science and technology, and personnel” (Du et al., 2022); this will independently cultivate the talent necessary for innovation in science and technology (Yan & Yang, 2021), offering the most direct solution to tackle bottleneck issues in key technologies.
Educational sanctions by one country on another were once unimaginable. This reflects a change in the global educational landscape—one rooted in the extensive impact of global changes and China's national rejuvenation. While the global education remains “closed” in 2023, China will continue the opening-up of education and pursue self-reliance in science and technology innovation (Salitskii & Salitskaya, 2022).
The global impact of Chinese education merits particular attention, especially in the wake of the Global Development and Global Security Initiatives. The Global Development Initiative seeks to provide solutions to global issues related to poverty, trust deficit, humanitarian crises, climate change, peace and security, and public health. Proposed by China, the initiative demonstrates the country's wisdom and commitment to sustainable global development as a member of the community with a shared future for humanity. With its long history and unique cultural heritage, China's global influence is exemplified by its leadership in global education reform. Under the Global Security Initiative, China has developed education on world peace and national security, reflecting the characteristics of its path to modernization. This characteristic means that the modernization of education in China differs from that of Western countries, which have tended to approach education modernization through exploitation and international expansion.
Significantly, China is embracing the diverse opportunities arising from global changes and challenges, seeking to forge stronger international bonds through education. China cannot develop in isolation from the world. The world's development also needs China. Simply put, while China's role in global affairs is undeniable, its education development also relies on the rest of the world. As the world will continue to develop, education in China will become more prominent. Given China's growing global economic influence, its educational leadership and influence will gradually increase. As such, education in China needs to maintain its Chinese characteristics while adopting a global vision. Education in China is sure to go global. Thus, our efforts today will shape tomorrow.