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IN-DEPTH

Innovations in China's diplomatic theory and practice under new conditions

Yang Jiechi
SINCE the successful conclusion of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) last year and the end of the annual sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) earlier this year, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as General Secretary has, in light of new conditions and new tasks, focused on China's long-term and strategic agenda with a keen appreciation of the evolving global environment and trends of development at home. Bearing in mind both the domestic and international interests of the country and maintaining the continuity and consistency of its major diplomatic policies, it has promoted innovations in diplomatic theory and practice by keeping up with the trend of the times and pushing ahead with a pioneering spirit. With a good beginning made and an overall plan adopted, the Party Central Committee has put forth many important strategic ideas on China's external affairs as well as diplomatic policies and principles, and taken a number of major diplomatic initiatives which have not only created external conditions favourable for facilitating the work of the Party and the state across the board, but also enriched and developed the system of diplomatic theory with Chinese characteristics.
1) Putting forth the important thinking of the Chinese dream with profoundly enriched contents with a view to boosting exchanges and cooperation between China and the rest of the world.
During his trips abroad or meetings with visiting foreign guests at home since the 18th Party Congress, Comrade Xi Jinping has spoken profusely to leaders and people of foreign countries on the important thinking of the Chinese dream, namely, to achieve the great renewal of the Chinese nation.
Comrade Xi Jinping has emphatically pointed out that the Chinese dream is shared by the Chinese people of all ethnic groups and cherished by each and every individual in the country. The Chinese dream requires a peaceful and stable international and neighbouring environment, and China is committed to realising the dream through peaceful development. Since the Chinese dream is closely linked with the dreams of other peoples around the world, China is committed to helping other countries, developing countries and neighbouring countries in particular, with their development while achieving development of its own. China will share more development opportunities with other countries so as to facilitate their efforts to realise their dreams. China hopes to see win-win cooperation and common development with the rest of the world. While working to realise the Chinese dream, the people of China are desirous of realising the world dream through concerted efforts with people around the world.
Comrade Xi Jinping's comprehensive, profound and exquisite description of the Chinese dream is a continuation and development of the important thinking of China's peaceful development in the new era. It has enhanced international understanding and recognition of China's peaceful development strategy and received extensive appreciation and applause. Many foreign leaders and people from various sectors regard the Chinese dream as fully consistent with the dreams of their own countries and own peoples, and have expressed readiness to join the Chinese people in realising the beautiful dream shared by the entire mankind. This fact has dealt a powerful blow to the attempts by certain international forces at distorting and smearing the Chinese dream.
The important thinking of the Chinese dream has not only energised our people's determination and confidence in accomplishing the great renewal of the Chinese nation but also substantially boosted China's appeal and influence in the world, enhanced our stature and voice in international affairs and given full expression to the strong synergy between our domestic and external agenda.
2) Putting forth the vision of building a new model of major-country relationship between China and the United States while striving to advance relations with other major countries.
To promote the building of a new model of majorcountry relationship between China and the United States and bring about sound interaction and win-win cooperation with major countries is an important thinking of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as General Secretary concerning China's relations with other major countries. The thinking is a strategic choice made based on a full review of the experience and lessons of history, a correct reading of the trend of the times and a need to integrate China's interests with those of other countries. It is also the inherent requirement of the "two centenary goals" and the inevitable demand for our overall strategy of peaceful development.
China and the United States have reached important agreement on the building of a new model of majorcountry relationship. During their meetings at the Annenberg Estate, Comrade Xi Jinping and President Obama agreed that the two countries would work together to build a new model of major-country relationship that benefits both peoples and the people in the world. Comrade Xi Jinping summarised such a new model with three insightful sentences.
First, non-conflict and non-confrontation. That requires the two sides to view each other's strategic intention in an objective and sensible way, stay as partners instead of adversaries, and properly handle their differences and disputes through dialogue and cooperation instead of taking a confrontational approach.
Second, mutual respect. That requires the two sides to respect each other's choice of social system and development path, respect each other's core interests and major concerns, seek common ground while shelving differences, uphold inclusiveness and mutual learning, and make progress side by side.
Third, win-win cooperation. That requires the two sides to abandon the zero-sum mentality, accommodate the other's interests while seeking one's own, promote common development while developing oneself, and continue to deepen the pattern of shared interests. Comrade Xi Jinping also pointed out that to implement the agreement
on the building of a new model of major-country relationship, the two sides need to bring their dialogue and trust to a new level, take new steps in their pragmatic cooperation, establish a new pattern of major-country interaction, and explore new ways to manage their differences. The building of a new model of major-country relationship between China and the United States is an unprecedented endeavour that will inspire future generations. It is a historic innovation that has no ready experience to copy. As such, it may not be a plain sailing process. Nevertheless, as long as we size up the situation, focus on the goal, be firm in our determination and keep forging ahead, we will be able to achieve sound and steady growth of China-US relations.
Meanwhile, with active planning and facilitation, China's relations with other major countries have also made fresh progress and breakthroughs. China and Russia have deepened strategic trust, scaled up business cooperation, made new breakthroughs in major energy cooperation projects, maintained close coordination on major international and regional issues and in global economic governance, and achieved new progress in growing their comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. China and the European Union have expanded cooperation areas, deepened shared interests, and continued to elevate strategic relations and cooperation to new heights. We have also made active efforts and achieved notable results in developing friendship and cooperation with other major developing countries and major regional countries.
3) Putting forth the right approach to upholding justice and seeking interests with a view to enhancing friendship and cooperation with neighboring countries and developing countries.
To strike a balance between upholding justice and seeking interests is at the heart of traditional Chinese culture and a moral benchmark observed by the Chinese nation throughout the centuries. This important principle governs both personal conduct and China's relations with other countries. Inheriting the fine traditions of Chinese culture and the diplomacy of New China and keeping in mind the new tasks in the new period of China's relations with other developing countries and its neighbours, Comrade Xi Jinping underscores the need to adopt the right approach to upholding justice and seeking interests in growing relations with these countries. Politically, we should uphold justice and fairness as a guiding principle. Economically, we should pursue mutual benefit and common development. In growing relations with our neighbours and other developing countries that have long been friendly towards China yet face daunting challenges in development, we will accommodate their interests rather than seeking benefits at their expense or shifting troubles unto them.
We will follow the right approach to upholding justice and seeking interests in strengthening relations with our neighbors and other developing countries. During his visit to Africa, Comrade Xi Jinping had sincere and cordial discussions with African leaders, in which he expounded on China's Africa policy and stressed China's commitment to cooperation with Africa with sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith. In particular, he emphasised the win-win nature of China-Africa cooperation. He reiterated that China will fully honour its commitment to Africa, attach no political strings to aid to Africa, help African countries translate their strength in natural resources into progress in development and achieve diverse, independent and sustainable development. Comrade Xi Jinping's remarks struck a chord among African leaders and people. Many of them said that China's help to Africa is sincere and aims at boosting Africa's development and that Africa has full trust in China.
During Comrade Xi Jinping's visit to Trinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica, a large number of major cooperation projects were agreed upon, which testifies to China's sincerity in helping Central American countries to achieve development. Comrade Xi Jinping announced that China would provide preferential loans and special infrastructure loans to Caribbean countries having friendly ties with China, and this was warmly received. Comrade Xi Jinping's visit to Mexico boosted bilateral business
ties, and the two Yang Jiechi
sides announced the upgrading of China-Mexico relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
4) Proposing stronger top-level designing and strategic planning in diplomatic work including the bottom line thinking with a view to resolutely upholding China's core interests.
Comrade Xi Jinping has repeatedly called for stronger top-level designing and medium to long-term strategic planning for China's diplomatic work. The Party Central Committee, demonstrating a long-term and broad vision and bearing in mind the underlying trend and major events, has stepped up such efforts by integrating China's relations with the world's major countries, its neighbours and other developing countries and multilateral diplomacy through a series of major initiatives. This has promoted an all-round growth of China's relations with various parties, meeting our target of a good start and solid layout in our diplomatic work and setting the stage for the medium and long-term pursuit of our objectives.
The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as General Secretary attaches great importance to the details of implementing China's foreign policy. It calls for the need to follow new trends in strategic planning, to make timely policy adjustments in light of shifting international developments and the changing external environment, and to properly address new issues and problems in our diplomatic work. We must keep in mind the bottom line, working for the best but preparing for the worst. Comrade Xi Jinping has stressed that while firmly committed to peaceful development, we definitely must not forsake our legitimate interests or compromise our core national interests. No country should expect us to swallow the bitter fruit that undermines our sovereignty, security and development interests. In our diplomatic work, we will not dodge disputes or problems as there may be. Rather, we will endeavour to properly handle the differences and problems with relevant countries, while working to promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields to expand common interests and maintain good relations with neighbouring countries and peace and stability in the region as a whole.
Taking stock of the overall developments, we find ourselves still in an important period of strategic opportunities in which much can be accomplished. Yet we also face complex and daunting challenges. The important achievements of innovations in diplomatic theory and practice made by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as General Secretary have not only laid a solid foundation for our diplomatic work in the immediate future, but also pointed out its correct direction. We should earnestly study and fully appreciate the essence of these innovations, draw inspirations from them and apply them in our diplomatic practice. We should build on the good beginning and forge ahead in a pioneering spirit. While continuing to improve on the strategic planning, we should give greater play to the leading role of leadership diplomacy, vigorously grow relations with other major countries, step up friendship and win-win cooperation with our neighbouring countries and other developing countries and move the international order in a more just and equitable direction. We should work hard to popularise the new thinking and new ideas of Chinese diplomacy, implement the Party's mass line and people-oriented diplomacy, and endeavour to make new progress in our diplomatic work, thus creating a more enabling external environment to make the Chinese dream, the great renewal of the Chinese nation,
The writer is State Councilor of People’s Republic of China and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Leading Group of the CPC Central Committee.
(This article is a shortened version. For full article please see: http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/zxxx/tl066869.shtml)