Encounters with Xi Jinping: He Always Puts People’s Interests First

In January 2017, in a speech at the UN High-level Meeting on “Discussing and Building a Community of Shared Future for Humanity”, President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of addressing the root cause of the refugee crisis facing the world. For Abdilahi Ismail Abdilahi, a lecturer at Beijing Foreign Studies University who has experienced firsthand the devastation of war in his homeland, Somalia, President Xi’s comment demonstrated his commitment to the well-being of ordinary people. Abdilahi also points to how China’s contribution to infrastructure development in Somalia under the Belt and Road Initiative is improving the lives of its citizens.