Photo’s source: www.chinaglobalsouth.com – Instances of Chinese diplomacy

On January 9, 2024, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi presented China’s diplomatic work for 2024 at the Symposium on the International Situation and China’s Foreign Relations in 2023. He highlighted that China will always be confident and self-reliant, fulfil its duties as a responsible major country, together with all countries, jointly rise to the challenges, and usher in an even better and brighter future for the world.

Because 2024 is the 75^th anniversary of the founding of new China, on this new journey, China will be guided by president Xi Jinping’s foreign affairs thought and adhere to the principles of self-confidence, openness and inclusiveness, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation. Based on the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs held on December 27-28, 2023, and the symposium held on January 9, 2024, the 2024 China’s diplomatic work can be summarized into one theme and two propositions. Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind (CSFM) is set as the theme of China’s diplomatic work in 2024. Since the CSFM proposed in 2013, this year is the first time that it has been explicitly made the theme of Chinese diplomatic work (Guangming Net, 2024.1). And the two propositions are the proposition of an equal and orderly multipolar world and the proposition of a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

Therefore, focusing on the main line of promoting the building of a community of human destiny, China will create a new situation of great power diplomacy with Chinese characteristics by taking on a more proactive historical role with a more energetic creative spirit. It hopes to promote cooperation among all countries in addressing challenges and realizing common prosperity, and to push the world towards a bright future of peace, security, prosperity, and progress. As such, China’s diplomatic goals in 2024 are characterized by the following:

1. Head of state diplomacy and high-level leadership

China will continue to strengthen the head of state diplomacy, enhance international influence through direct communication and interaction between leaders of the country, and play a key role in global issues.

In the just-passed year 2023, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping, had close interactions with leaders of various countries, leaving many memorable moments: in the spacious and bright reception hall of the Kremlin, the leaders of China and Russia sat chatting until late into the night; at the Songyuan in Guangzhou, the leaders of China and France sat by the water, enjoying the scenery and tea, and appreciating the long melody of “High Mountains and Running Waters”; or, in “Rainbow Nation” of South Africa, President Ramaphosa solemnly pinned the “South African Medal” on President Xi Jinping, which is the highest level medal and highest honor awarded to the heads of important friendly countries. Moreover, at the Filoli Estate in San Francisco with high sky and clouds, the leaders of China and the United States met, had lunch, and took a walk, deeply discussing the correct way for the largest developing country and the largest developed country to get along. Also, in the warm spring-like Hanoi, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong, gave the Chinese leader the most solemn reception and the warmest welcome, with the two secretaries of their respective parties talking hand in hand and walking side by side.

2. Promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind

China will continue to advocate and practice the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, seeking cooperation with countries around the world in multiple fields, such as peaceful development, global governance, sustainable development, and public health security, to jointly address global challenges. Thus, building a community with a shared future for mankind is the core idea of Xi Jinping’s diplomatic thought, and it is China’s answer to what kind of world we want to build and how to build it, reflecting the worldview, order, and values of the Communist Party of China, and conforming to the general will of people in various countries, pointing out the direction of progress of world civilization, and is the lofty goal pursued by China’s major power diplomacy in the new era.

Since the 18^th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has proposed the “Ten Cooperation Plans” between China and Africa, set up the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, set up the South-South Cooperation and Development Institute, the economic and technical cooperation and exchange plan of the BRICS countries, and other pragmatic assistance initiatives and measures, proposed China’s solutions and contributed Chinese wisdom on issues such as poverty reduction, disease prevention and control, climate change, and refugee assistance at the global and regional levels, led the trend of peace and development, and effectively promoted changes in the global governance system. In addition, China has proposed the “Belt and Road Initiative”, and actively cooperates with countries along the route, providing a public platform for cooperation in various regions of the world and providing global public goods. These measures embody the Communist Party of China’s vision and determination to stand at the height of planning for the development and future of all mankind, and to strengthen unity and common development with all countries in the world.

3. Policy of diplomatic cooperation for mutual benefit

China’s foreign policy is committed to working with all countries in the world to jointly address challenges, achieve common development and prosperity, emphasizing the resolution of international disputes through dialogue, negotiation, and cooperation, and promoting the construction of a new type of international relations.

China and the countries along the routes are working together to build the “Belt and Road”, promoting cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, and other areas, achieving mutual benefits and win-win results. In the past year of 2023, the opening and operation of the China-Laos railway have brought tangible benefits to the people of the two countries. With the increase in the volume of China-Laos railway freight, more Chinese products will be transported to Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and other countries, further promoting economic and trade cooperation between China and Southeast Asia.

Also, under China’s mediation, Saudi Arabia and Iran, once considered “old enemies”, have reached a reconciliation in Beijing and agreed to restore diplomatic relations. This event is considered a model for regional countries to resolve disputes through dialogue and negotiation, and achieve peaceful coexistence. In the Ukraine crisis, China has continued to work for peace. The Chinese side has issued important documents, seeking a “widest possible common ground” for a political solution to the Ukraine crisis, and has sent special envoys who traveled for more than ten hours from Warsaw to Kyiv, actively advocating for peace talks. In addition, as a rotating president of the United Nations Security Council, China has promoted the adoption of the first resolution related to the current conflict between Palestine and Israel. In the new year, China will continue to take practical actions to explore comprehensive and long-term solutions to the crises, and make contributions as a major country to maintain world peace and stability.

4. Emphasize its role as a responsible major country with an active role in global governance

In 2024, under the theme of CSFM, China will continue committing to its role as a responsible major country. In this regard, China emphasizes the positive contribution it will make to the international community in 2024, which has at least two aspects. On the one hand, China will leverage strategic guiding role of the head-of-state diplomacy to ensure the success of the following international events held by China and demonstrate the characteristics of Chinese diplomacy. In addition, China will promote solidarity and cooperation among different countries, especially developing countries, and take a clear stand on key issues to safeguard international fairness and justice.

On the other hand, China will engage in friendly interactions with other countries to consolidate and expand its global network of partnerships. In the current international context, different actors maintain different levels of relations with China. However, whether it is with the major powers that play an important role today, with neighboring countries, or with third world countries, China will continue maintaining a sincere and mutually beneficial attitude. In this way, it promotes exchanges among various civilizations and contributes to the progress of human civilization.

As a result, China’s active participation in global governance showcases its sense of responsibility and image as a major responsible country. The Naning destroyer of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy concluded its exhibition tour in the United Arab Emirates on February 25, 2023, and rushed to the Gulf of Aden to continue the 43^rd batch of naval escort missions, demonstrating China’s commitment to global security and participation. In 2023, China made significant progress in ecological environment governance and climate change response, highlighting its leading role in global environmental protection and climate governance. In 2024, China will play a more active role in multilateral mechanisms, such as the United Nations, the G20, and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to the improvement of the global governance system.

Conclusion

Overall, China’s diplomacy in 2024 will be characterized by pragmatic cooperation, shared development, upholding multilateralism, advancing global governance reform, and enhancing international understanding and trust. China’s distinctive major-country diplomacy will adhere to the principles of confidence and independence, openness and inclusiveness, righteousness and justice, and win-win cooperation, demonstrating a more active and proactive historical responsibility and a more vibrant creative spirit. It will continue to write the Chinese answer to the shared destiny of mankind and make relentless efforts to promote the world towards a brighter future of peace, security, prosperity, and progress.

More specifically, Chinese Diplomatic Goals for 2024 continue emphasizing equal participation of various countries, under the trend of multipolarity and economic globalization. Uncertainty in the current international environment poses risks and challenges for all countries. China itself will not only shoulder the responsibility, but also contribute to the solution of this problem by bringing as many countries as possible into global governance. Therefore, under the context of these two major trends in the world today, China opposes unilateralism and reverse globalization, and calls on the international community to allow countries of different sizes and cultures to benefit from it. Therefore, in the text of China’s diplomatic goal for 2024, it advocates an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

Concluding, in 2024, under the theme of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind, China will, on the one hand, actively participate in the interaction of the international community around its mission as a responsible major country, express its impartial stance and establish and consolidate partnerships with other countries; on the other hand, it will promote the value of global governance under multipolarity and economic globalization, so as to promote equality and inclusiveness in the international community.

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