Innovations in China's Diplomatic Theory and Practice Under New Conditions

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Innovations in China's Diplomatic Theory and Practice Under New Conditions

(Xinhua) 10:33, August 16, 2013

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Yang Jiechi

2013/08/16

BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- 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 favorable 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.

I. The new diplomatic initiatives as taken are strategic, overarching and innovative in nature.

Given close international attention on major policy direction of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as General Secretary after the 18th Party Congress, Comrade Xi Jinping made his diplomatic debut by meeting the representatives of foreign experts working in China. Later, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a collective study session on unswervingly following the path of peaceful development. On both occasions, Comrade Xi Jinping made important remarks on China's opening-up strategy and foreign policy, sending out a clear message that China's new collective central leadership is committed to reform and opening-up, the path of peaceful development and the strategy of win-win cooperation with the outside world while resolutely upholding China's core national interests.

Since the end of the annual NPC and CPPCC sessions this year, Comrade Xi Jinping and other Party and state leaders have paid visits to major countries, neighboring countries, emerging market economies and developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe and North America, and hosted visits by dozens of foreign leaders. These activities of bilateral and multilateral diplomacy both at home and abroad have enabled Chinese leaders to meet more than one hundred foreign heads of state and leaders, which has effectively enhanced China's friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation with other countries.

Actively promoting relations with the major countries. Comrade Xi Jinping made Russia the first leg of his first overseas visit as China's President, which strengthened bilateral cooperation in the economy, trade, energy and strategic security and consolidated the basis of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. Comrade Xi Jinping held meetings with US President Barack Obama at the Annenberg Estate in Los Angeles, during which the two sides agreed to work together to build a new model of major-country relationship based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation, thus charting the course and drawing the blueprint for growing China-US relations in the future. China and the United States also successfully held their fifth round of Strategic and Economic Dialogues, making good progress in implementing the agreement of the two presidents and advancing the building of a new model of major-country relationship. With other Chinese Party and state leaders visiting European countries, China has played host to French President Francois Hollande and other European leaders, and worked steadily to open up new areas of mutually-beneficial and pragmatic cooperation between China and Europe.

Energetically working to stabilize and advance the friendly and good-neighborly relations in the surrounding areas. China's relations with its neighbors are, on the whole, moving towards a more favorable direction. While attending the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2013 and the state events held on its sidelines, Comrade Xi Jinping expounded on the new ideas in China's domestic and foreign policies, which promoted China's strategic trust with the relevant countries and elevated its relations with the neighboring countries. We have received visits by state leaders from neighboring countries, such as President Truong Tan Sang of Viet Nam, President Park Geun-hye of the ROK and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan, strengthened bilateral ties with neighboring countries in areas including Southeast Asia and Central Asia, and consolidated our good-neighborly friendship and cooperation with them. With respect to such issues as Diaoyu Island and South China Sea, we have acted firmly to uphold our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests while working hard to appropriately handle and resolve the disputes with the neighboring countries through dialogue and negotiation. On the Korean nuclear issue, while firmly committed to the goal of denuclearization on the Peninsula, we have actively reached out to relevant countries to move the situation on the Peninsula towards relaxation.