This photo taken on November 14 shows the opening ceremony of the 2nd Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Agriculture in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province (XINHUA)

In 2023, experts, scholars and specialists from various fields have shared their opinions through this column on China's diplomacy, global hotspots as well as international relations.

The following are some of the highlights of their insights:

In Guest Opinion: Why is China an attractive partner for Africa? Paul Frimpong, founder and executive director of the Africa-China Centre for Policy and Advisory in Ghana, says:

--The size of a country does not matter when it comes to bilateral relationships with mutual respect -- this is a core part of China's foreign policy.

--Juxtaposing the two scenarios -- within the same year of 2000, the West labeled the African continent as hopeless, while China hosted the first Forum on China-Africa Cooperation -- one cannot overemphasize its significance enough.

--For most countries in the Global South, and Africa in particular, China's economic model and success are inspiring enough: It is a country that has been able to lift over 800 million people out of poverty and become a beacon of infrastructure development globally.

--To succeed in Africa, you need to be built for Africa. China has shown itself to be the most reliable partner seeking to build win-win cooperation with the African continent.

In Guest Opinion: Building a new world order where shared benefits prevail, Refaat Badawi, a political analyst and adviser to former Lebanese Prime Minister Salim al-Hoss, says:

--It is evident that the Chinese nation is coming with the strength to build a new world where security, peace, prosperity, development, and shared benefit prevail, and this is what we aspire to.

--China has no record of overthrowing governments of other countries, and is innocent of any colonialism as China has never plundered the wealth of any country in the world. Instead, China has been working on a win-win basis with an aim to achieve mutual benefits with other countries.

--While the United States is demanding its Western allies diversify their economies and reduce their dependence on China, more countries are seeking to join the BRICS group and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

In Guest Opinion: Beijing-brokered Tehran-Riyadh detente proof of China's growing Mideast status, Abas Aslani, the CEO of Iran's prominent English newspaper Iran Daily, says:

--At present, China, without seeking interference, is proving to be the true manifestation of a "stabilizing power," the image the United States sought to present of itself through waging wars and intervention for decades.

--There is no utilitarian motivation and purpose for China in the Middle East. Basically, under the present circumstances, positive balancing looks to be a prominent political motivation behind China's behavioral pattern toward the Middle East.

--In fact, it can be said that avoiding any rise in tensions is China's behavioral pattern vis-à-vis the Middle East and the country has the necessary tools and credibility to this end.

In Guest Opinion: Chinese modernization and the world, Mohammed Ahmed Awil, former Federal Republic of Somalia Ambassador to the People's Republic of China, says:

-- China will share its development opportunities and experiences with less developed nations to help them grow, raise living standards and promote building a community with a shared future for humankind.

--China intends to provide a more equitable development path by sharing its opportunities and experiences. This will highly impact the world, especially developing countries that have always equated modernization to Westernization.

--China promotes shared prosperity for all and strives for social fairness and justice. This path of development increases productivity, and leads to prosperous lives and a sound ecological environment.

In Guest Opinion: China's rise will give a voice to developing world, Chandran Nair, founder and chief executive officer of the Global Institute For Tomorrow, an independent pan-Asian think tank, says:

--China must not only strengthen its ability to be a leading voice in global affairs but also empower others, who under the current spell of Western media dominance can only dream of being able to have their voices heard.

--The West needs to accept that China has not only contributed greatly to the struggle of many nations for independence against Western colonialism -- in Africa and Asia -- in the past, but also successfully followed up this legacy by seeking to help bring progress and prosperity to countries around the world through its investments and economic leadership.

--Moving forward, China must strengthen its ability to spread the word of its peaceful rise and the benefits that this will bring to the rest of the world.