As a science fiction enthusiast, I am often curious about how aliens perceive Planet Earth, this tiny blue speck in the universe. In reality, we are soberly aware that this planet is the only common home for 8 billion human beings. The future and destiny of every nation, every country, and every individual are closely linked. In other words, humanity is a community with a shared future.

Charles Dickens, the novelist and social critic, described the era after the Industrial Revolution as both the best of times and the worst of times. Today's world also finds itself in an era filled with as much hope as challenge. Global challenges call for global response. In the face of global crises, the 190-plus countries in the world are all in the same boat. No country, however strong it may be, can do everything on its own. Global cooperation is a must. Only when all countries work together, align one's interests with interests of others, and truly build a global community of shared future, can humanity tide through the crises confronting us and sail towards a better future.