In January, leaders from Ireland, Canada, and Finland visited China, highlighting their growing willingness to deepen engagement with Beijing, amid a global backlash against unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonic bullying.

The latest such visit comes from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is in China from Wednesday to Saturday. The visit is the first by a British prime minister in eight years.

While the political and economic contexts of these visits vary by country, the flurry of diplomatic engagements shares a common emphasis on pragmatism, multilateralism, and the rules-based multilateral trading system. It also shows these Western countries' growing recognition and appreciation of China's role as a reliable partner for deepening win-win cooperation and tackling global challenges, and a steadfast champion of multilateralism and world peace.

Talks have focused on areas including economic and trade cooperation, investment, culture, and joint efforts on climate change, resulting in concrete agreements. Businesses from Western countries are more eager than ever to take the opportunities China has offered.

Canada offers a telling example. Mark Carney, as the first Canadian prime minister to visit China in eight years, secured concrete reciprocity in trade and a series of cooperation documents. Furthermore, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism.

For Britain, Starmer is leading a delegation of representatives from more than 60 major British companies and institutions across key sectors, including finance, medicine, manufacturing, and culture and creativity. Issues related to global peace, stability and development were also discussed.

These visits to China come at a time when the world is facing mounting economic and security challenges: tariff threats have been repeatedly brandished as an instrument of coercion, and the sitting president of a sovereign state was forcibly seized by another sovereign state.

Unilateralism, protectionism, and power politics are surging. The foundations of international law and the bedrock norms of international relations are under sustained assault. In Davos last week, pro-globalization and anti-globalization thoughts clashed head-on. The resulting sense of disorder is not a problem unique to any single country but a shared challenge facing most nations.

Against this backdrop, world leaders, especially those from the West, are increasingly viewing China's role more constructively, as the country steadfastly champions peace and resolves disputes through diplomatic dialogue and consultation. China's virtues in its dealings with other countries, including upholding equality and the rule of law, pursuing cooperation, and honoring its commitments, are badly needed in the turbulent world.

Stability, consistency, and predictability are more precious than ever, and China embodies these characteristics. China's economy remains on a steady path, accounting for 30 percent of global economic growth, with stable expectations for continued momentum. The year 2026 marks the launch of the 15th Five-Year Plan, which will provide a clear, consistent roadmap for China's development through 2030.

With a population of 1.4 billion, China offers a consumer base unmatched by most economies. China's concrete measures to expand high-standard opening up, improve its business environment, and relax market access, now evident in tangible policy actions, are expected to create significant opportunities for common development with countries around the globe.

The recent positive, constructive diplomacy between China and Western countries once again demonstrates that solidarity and cooperation are the right choice for all, while divisions, confrontation, and zero-sum games lead nowhere.

In today's uncertain world, China's stability and predictability provide a rare and valuable anchor, which is set to benefit other countries.