A senior mainland official said on Friday that Beijing is committed to building peaceful ties with major countries and creating a “community with a shared future for mankind”.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu made the remarks at a press conference marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

He explained President Xi Jinping’s idea of a “community with a shared future for mankind”, which means the future of every nation is closely connected and that countries should support each other through both good and difficult times.

The goal, Ma said, is to turn the world into a harmonious family where people’s hopes for a better life can become reality.

“Countries are not riding separately in some 190 small boats but are all in a giant ship on which our shared destiny hinges," he said.

"Small boats may not survive a storm but a giant ship is strong enough to brave the storm.

“Building a community with a shared future for humanity means that the future of each and every nation and country is interlocked.”

Ma said the vision provides new ways to think about international relations as it seeks to move beyond small power blocs, while offering broad common ground for building a better world together.

The idea has grown from being a Chinese proposal to becoming widely accepted worldwide, he said, adding that it has developed from a vision into practical actions and has produced “comprehensive and groundbreaking results”.