China’s Diplomacy in the New Period:Changes and Consistency

The 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party held in November 2012 made an overall arrangement for China’s development as well as its domestic and foreign work in the new period.Since then, the new central collective leadership headed by General Secretary Xi Jinping has, making a good start, worked out concrete plans in all respects from the path and orientation of China’s development to internal and external work for the realization of the goals of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2021 and a moderately developed country by 2049 when the Communist Party and New China celebrate their centenary respectively as well as the “Chinese Dream”.

New styles of work, new atmosphere and new lines of thinking come to the fore in all spendors.In March 2013, the First Session of the 12th National People’s Congress translated through legislative procedures the strategic arrangements, political line and theoretic innovation made at the Party Congress into state will.Following the two Congresses, new leaders of China have made their debut on the international stage and China’s diplomatic work in the new period has been unfolding in an orderly way.Viewed as a whole, China’s diplomacy in the new period shall be characterized as inheritance and development, demonstrating unity between innovation and continuity.

I.New Changes in Diplomatic Stance

The continuous development of China has brought about new changes in its diplomatic stance.

1.China’s diplomacy is more active.

The 18th Party Congress highlighted some new ideas.For instance,it stated that China would continue to hold high the banner of peace,development, cooperation and mutual benefit, uphold the spirit of equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness, mutual learning and win-win cooperation in international relations, safeguard international fairness and justice, promote the building of a new type of major power relations and a new type of global development partnership, and take an active part in global economic governance, etc., demonstrating to the world the kind of international relations and international order China wishes to set up.

The 18th Party Congress raised new requirements for advancing China’s diplomacy in all fields.For example, it called for bringing more benefits to neighboring countries in the course of China’s development, increasing unity and cooperation with other developing countries and remaining forever their reliable friend and sincere partner, taking a more active part in international affairs, playing its due role of a responsible major country, taking solid steps to promote public diplomacy as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and protecting its legitimate rights and interests overseas,which showed that China would be more active and take on more responsibilities in diplomatic attitude, stance and actions.

The new central collective leadership showed more confidence in diplomacy.In face of the complex situations on the Diaoyu Islands and South China Sea issues as well as the high concern on China’s future direction on the part of the international community, they responded in an active way by making statements on several occasions to explain China’s position and propositions.The emphatic remarks General Secretary Xi Jinping made recently at the third collective study session of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee that taking the path of peaceful development was China’s “strategic choice” and we should strengthen our “strategic determination” as well as the issuance of China’s first defense white paper on a special subject The Diversified Employment of China’s Armed Forces all indicated China’s high confidence and firm resolve in adhering to the path of peaceful development as well as the new leadership’s fearlessness in face of any risks, firmness in front of all interferences, and calmness and confidence in coordinating both the domestic and international situations.

China is shifting its role as a “receiver” and “responder”to that as a “builder” and“shaper” of the international system.

China’s diplomacy has displayed the prospect of making more contributions to promoting world peace and development.China at present is playing an increasingly important role in promoting world economic growth as well as addressing international or regional hotspot issues.The 18th Party Congress’ concern over security in the seas, outer space, cyber-space as well as the proposition to build China into a maritime power, enhance its position and role in the global public domains, and strengthen cooperation with various countries and regions shall deliver fresh contributions to maintaining world stability and prosperity.

Chinese experts point out that China’s foreign policy conception is undergoing changes from what to oppose and not to do in the past to what to do.China’s diplomacy is in the course of transformation,shifting from “passive response” to “taking the initiative” and from participation in and integration with the international system to shaping it, that is, shifting its role as a “receiver” and “responder”to that as a “builder” and “shaper” of the international system.Yang Jiechi, the then foreign minister, said at the press conference of the First Session of the 12th National People’s Congress: “Compared with the last century, the international multilateral systems in the 21st century should expand representation, enhance fairness and strengthen efficiency.China is a participator in, builder of and contributor to the international systems.We shall take a more active part in international affairs and play our due role to make the international systems fairer and more reasonable.”1Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi answers questions during a news conference on the sidelines of the first session of the 12th National People’s Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, March 9, 2013.http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_chn/zyxw_602251/t1019938.shtml.

2.China’s diplomacy is more comprehensive and balanced.

China’s diplomacy attaches more importance to balancing guiding principles and deployment.With regard to diplomatic principles,the first is to balance the relations between serving, promoting and relying on the development of the country.For many years, the focus of diplomatic work had been on serving and promoting development of the country by creating favorable external environment and conditions; nowadays, stress is also put on relying on the country’s development to play the role and exert the influence of a major country and more resolutely protect the country’s sovereignty and security.The second is to balance the relations between “keeping a low profile” and “playing a due role”.Being more active in playing a due role has been emphasized while continuing to keep a low profile.The manifestation of that is taking the initiative and being more assertive in diplomatic work.The third is to balance the relations between maintaining independence and playing the role of a major power.

While adhering to the principles of non-alliance and noninterference in the internal affairs of other countries, China is making efforts to play a constructive role commensurate with its strength in international and regional affairs.For the first time, playing the role of a responsible major power was written into the report to the Congress at the 18th National Party Congress.A response to expectations of the international community, it also manifests China’s self-adjustment in its diplomacy.The fourth is to balance the relations between international rights and obligations.Some Chinese experts maintain that along with the growth of its strength, China must on the one hand promote the building of a new international order (i.e.,redistribution of powers of the international community) and on the other, take an active part in global governance (i.e., redistribution of international obligations) to strike a balance between power and responsibility.

As to diplomatic deployment, balance is made on relations between state-to-state and regional diplomacy and diplomacy in various fields.In state-to-state and regional diplomacy, relations between attaching importance to developed countries and strengthening cooperation with developing nations must be given full attention, and bilateral and multilateral diplomacy must be promoted hand by hand.More efforts have been put into work with developing countries and multilateral diplomacy while continuing to stress work on major countries as well as neighboring countries.The proposition put forth at the 18th Party Congress to support developing countries in their demand for more representation and right of speech in international affairs implies that China is attaching more importance to involvement of developing nations in international affairs and is trying to better protect and realize its national interests in the cooperation with developing countries.

In the realm of diplomacy, in addition to diplomacy in the traditional fields of politics, economy and security, China is attaching more importance to safeguarding interests in the areas of offshore seas, oceans, cyber-space and outer space and included “public diplomacy” into the report for the first time, calling for making solid steps to promote public diplomacy and people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

The 18th Congress also indicates that China shall stick to upholding fairness and justice as its pursuit and endeavor to make China stand on the international moral high ground in the 21st century, which shall be conducive to shaping and raising its right of discourse in the international community.Experts point out that future diplomacy of China will strive to expand its high frontiers and blow the “Chinese wind” in the fields of international politics,economy, security and people-to-people and cultural exchanges.In this way China will leave its imprint and cohesive force on the world and achieve the simultaneous growth of both its hard and soft power.

Since elected president of China, Xi Jinping visited Russia and three African countries and attended the Summit of BRICS countries during his first trip abroad.He also carried out a series of diplomatic activities such as attending the Boao Forum for Asia.This demonstrates that China’s new central collective leadership has unfolded its diplomatic work from major countries, neighboring countries and developing countries as well as multilateral and public diplomacy and protection of overseas interests, which displays a multi-dimensional diplomatic deployment.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi indicated when introducing the fruits of President Xi’s first overseas trip that this visit was a successful diplomatic practice of a major country with Chinese characteristics as it was conducive to maintaining stability in China’s surrounding areas, consolidating the foundation of China’s diplomacy, promoting the favorable interactions between major countries, advancing the democratization of international relations and improving the system of global governance.

3.China’s diplomacy is more open and inclusive.

China gives more highlight to mutually beneficial cooperation in its diplomatic work, which is an expression of its worldly feelings.The report to the 18th Party Congress points out that mankind has only one earth to live on and all countries share one world and reiterates that China will unswervingly follow the open strategy of mutual benefit.It states that China will continue to hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, adding“mutual benefit” to the former expression.It also calls for promoting equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutually beneficial cooperation in international relations, raising awareness about human beings sharing a community of common destiny,promoting common development of all countries when advancing its own development, establishing a new type of global development partnership that is more equitable and balanced, sticking together in times of difficulty, both sharing rights and shouldering obligations,and boosting the common interests of mankind.Everywhere shines the thought of cooperation and mutual benefit, which demonstrates the broadmindedness of an open and inclusive China as a major country.

China’s development is open development, cooperative development and mutually beneficial development.General Secretary Xi pointed out in clear-cut terms when speaking at the group study session of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee that world prosperity and stability provide an opportunity for China’s development and China’s development in turn constitutes an opportunity for the world.He expressed that we should turn the world’s opportunity into China’s opportunity and vice versa, and advance in the course of favorable interaction and mutual benefit between China and various countries in the world.Chinese experts maintain that General Secretary Xi’s remarks show that China and the world have formed a community of common interest and common destiny and that the realization of the “Chinese Dream” is linked up with the progress and development of the whole mankind.Mutually beneficial cooperation is in fact a bridge through which the realization of China’s opportunity and that of the world are hooked up.It is applicable not only in the field of economy but also in other spheres.The “Chinese Dream” and “World Dream” embrace and facilitate each other, and the “Chinese Dream” will benefit not only China but also the world.

China now advocates “fairness” in its diplomacy instead“equality” as in the past and seeks for balance between equality and fairness.The 18th Party Congress calls for making joint efforts to uphold international fairness and justice.Chinese experts maintain that fairness means giving consideration to small countries and highlighting mutual benefit means establishing a set of new type of international norms.Norms should not only serve to maintaining a stable order but also bringing benefits to all parties.“Fairness and justice” embody the idea of mutual benefit and gives mutual benefit a new annotation.General Secretary Xi has conveyed explicitly the new lines of thought for China’s new diplomatic strategy, that is, stressing “mutually beneficial cooperation” when handling international relations and accommodating the reasonable concerns of other countries when pursuing its own interests.

4.China’s diplomacy is more realistic and flexible.

The contents relating to diplomatic work in the report to the 18th Party Congress are more substantial than before and the goals put forward as well as the wording are quite pragmatic and realistic.It gives prominence to the orientation of diplomacy serving the mission of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, which is an explicit exposition on economic diplomacy.The report unequivocally calls for safeguarding “national maritime rights and interests” and building a maritime power, which is a deepened understanding of national interests.Timely including such contents into the report shows that China will devote more energy to carrying out work in this respect.The reorganization of the State Oceanic Administration, the establishment of the State Oceanic Commission, a high-level coordinating organ, and the reinforcement of law enforcement on the sea following the conclusion of the sessions of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference early in the year symbolize that China has made a crucial step toward building a maritime power.

Regarding national defense and military building, the 18th Party Congress calls for building a solid national defense and a strong military force that match China’s international standing and suit its national security and development interests.This gives a realistic definition to the development goal of modernizing China’s national defense and military force for the next stage.In the new national defense white paper, the sections of “Safeguarding Maritime Rights and Interests” and “Protecting Overseas Interests” appear for the first time, which reflects the fact that development interests have increasingly become the essential part of China’s core interests.

China will make more tangible contributions to world peace and development.It is estimated that China will, in the coming five years,import goods worth US$10 trillion and make overseas investment worth $500 billion, and Chinese tourists travelling abroad may reach 400 million person/times, which will provide strong impetus to the feebly recovering world economy.As one of the five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council, China is taking an active part in peaceful settlement of international disputes.At the invitation of the United Nations, China will send, in the second half of this year, an anti-riot corps composed of 140 peacekeeping policemen to the UN mission zone in Libya.Being the first time for China to dispatch such organic unit to Africa, it will contribute to enhancing China’s influence over UN peacekeeping operations and will be of realistic and long-term significance for the maintenance of regional and world peace and stability.

So far as style is concerned, China’s diplomacy, combining firmness with gentleness, is more flexible.Xi has a simple and easy-to-approach diplomatic style.He uses mild language to lucidly expound China’s diplomatic ideas and its relations with the world and the country he is visiting but sticks to the bottom line, never yielding on questions of principle.He points out emphatically that no country should harbor the illusion that we would make deals on our core interests and swallow the bitter fruit of undermining our sovereignty, security and development interests.Experts maintain that Xi’s remarks have defined the conditions for China’s peaceful development, that is,maintaining China’s core interests is the prerequisite and basis for its peaceful development.Non-sacrifice of China’s core interests highlights the resolve of the new central collective leadership in defending China’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.Forceful but not tough, these remarks show the close combination of principle and tactics.

In recent years, disregarding persuasion and prevention from the Chinese side, countries like the Philippines, Viet Nam and Japan have provoked incidents from time to time in the South China Sea and East China Sea.The Chinese side waged resolute struggles on the diplomatic front, which firmly protected China’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.China’s first national defense white paper since Xi assumed chairman of the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee unequivocally points out that “some neighboring countries are taking actions that complicate or exacerbate the situation, and Japan is making trouble over the issue of the Diaoyu Islands”.It stresses that China will follow the principle that “we will not attack unless we are attacked; but we will surely counterattack if attacked” and resolutely take all necessary measures to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

II.Changes in Domestic and International Situations Calling for Innovation in Diplomatic Work

1.Great changes in the world

The world is experiencing the most profound and complex changes since the end of the Cold War.Multi-polarization and economic globalization are deepening.Cultural diversity is increasing, and an information society is fast emerging.New breakthroughs are in the making in the scientific and technological revolution.These events are exerting profound impacts on the evolvement and transformation of the international pattern and international relations.In the coming period of time, the world will remain in the process of great reorganization and transformation with some trends becoming even more salient.

First, the balance of international forces will undergo new changes.The West is still in a superior position in terms of overall strength but its superiority is declining due to difficulties in economic recovery under impact of the international financial crisis.The emerging markets and developing countries as a whole, keeping the momentum of rapid development, have become an important force driving the growth of global economy and deep-going readjustment of the international pattern.It is estimated that by 2020, four of the seven major economies of the world shall be non-Western countries.

Second, fresh major progress is expected to be made in the transformation of the international systems.G20, of which 11 are emerging markets and developing countries, shall replace G7 to act as the principal platform for global economic governance.According to the reform plan on the shares and voting rights of the IMF and World Bank reached in 2010, the total shares of BRICS countries in IMF shall rise to 14.81% and their voting rights in World Bank 13.1%.It can be envisioned that the right to speak and influence of the emerging markets and developing countries in revising and formulating international rules and regulations shall further increase.

Third, strategic competition among major powers shall intensify.While addressing regional and global challenges in cooperation, the major powers have started a new round of competition in comprehensive national strength with the focus on revising development strategy and development model, readjusting and upgrading the economic structure, and contending for strategic highground of development and leading role in formulating international rules and regulations.Their contest in such “new frontiers” as cyberspace, outer space, polar areas and oceans is deepening as well.

Fourth, Asia-Pacific is assuming an increasingly higher position in global strategy.In spite of the many new situations and problems, Asia-Pacific remains the most vibrant and potential region in the world.With the eastward shifting of the world’s center of development and strategy, major forces have all enhanced their attention and input to the Asia-Pacific region.America’s “returning to Asia” and “rebalancing the Asia-Pacific” strategy is affecting the readjustment of the global geo-strategic pattern.

Fifth, contest in “soft power” becomes ever more acute in the world.The international financial crisis has generated reflection on development paths and models.The Western development ideas and models are widely questioned.The emerging nations insist on exploring for their own paths of development and their ideas and policy propositions are receiving more attention from the international community.Regarding raising “soft power” as a significant means to enhancing their comprehensive national strength, all major powers are looking for new way-out and seeking new development through reform so as to take a favorable position in the exchanges and competition among the world’s various ideologies and cultures.

Great changes in the world have brought opportunities as well as challenges to various countries.As far as the emerging countries are concerned, they enjoy more opportunities than challenges.Losing no time in quickening readjustment of their external strategies and policies and pursuing development by taking the initiative and exploiting favorable conditions while shunning disadvantages are the common choice made by these countries.China, as a major member of the international community, could not choose to be indifferent.

2.Tremendous development in China

The sustained rapid development of China’s economy and constant rising of its international standing and influence since reform and opening-up is the most salient feature in the changes of the current international situation.The fact that China, with 20% of the world’s population, has succeeded in becoming the second largest economy in the world as a result of more than 30 years of continuous economic growth at the speed of nearly 10% is something never seen in world history.

The 18th Party Congress has set forth goals to be reached by the two centenaries of the founding of the CPC and the People’s Republic.The new central collective leadership has also put forward the goal of realizing the “Chinese Dream”.General Secretary Xi points out that we at present are most close than any time in history to the objective of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and we are more confident and competent to achieve this goal.It can be believed that China will be able to realize the strategic goal of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects in the coming ten years and by then its economic power as well as comprehensive national strength will be further enhanced.

As China has been developing in the course of pushing forward reform and opening up and engaging in globalization, its relations with the outside world has been experiencing historic changes.Connection between China and the rest of the world will be closer,interaction will be more active and China’s influence will be further expanded.In face of a changing world and increase of its own strength,China is confronted with both opportunities and challenges that have never seen before.But taking as a whole, opportunities are still greater than challenges.

The greatest opportunity comes from the chance offered by the historic change in the balance of international forces.Firstly, the great readjustment of the international pattern and great transformation of the international systems since the financial crisis have provided China with an unprecedentedly broad space for it to “go global”,expand its international influence, enhance its international standing and strengthen its right of discourse.Secondly, thanks to the evident superiority and impact of China’s development path, other countries become more reliant on China and cherish more China’s bellwether position among emerging markets and developing countries.They have more expectations on China and are more willing to rely on and cooperate with China.And thirdly, the constantly growing strength of China has further enhanced its ability in participating in international competition, resisting external risks and shaping the international environment and has enriched its resources and means in handling relations with the outside world, placing it in a more favorable strategic position.

As for challenges,first, China’s rapid development has impacted in an all-round way the original international and regional patterns of interest and hence China’s relations with all parties face profound and complex readjustment.The United States and other Western countries are intensifying their guard against and containment of China and conflicts and frictions between the two sides will be constant.Homogenotic competition exists to certain extent between China and some emerging markets and developing countries and differences and frictions between the two sides are also on the rise.Disputes over territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests with some neighboring countries may heat up.

Second, China faces rising external risks.The impact of international financial crisis is deepening, recovery of the global economy remains difficult, the financial market is volatile and the West is trying to shift the burden of risks onto other countries.Along with the furthering of reform and opening up, China is confronted with bigger challenges in economic security in finance and other fields.In a changing world, global issues cross up in succession,regional turbulences rise and fall, and “new-interventionism” pursued by some Western countries adds to the instability and uncertainty of the world.Some countries may continue to make use of issues relating to China’s Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang and disputes over territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests to obstruct China’s development.

Third, with the constant extension of national interests,China faces heavier tasks to protect its maritime and overseas rights and interests.China’s security interests are extending from territorial security to security in oceans, outer space and cyber-space and from land security to security of overseas interests.With regard to safeguarding maritime rights and interests, China, a big land and sea country, claims the jurisdiction of 3 million square kilometers of sea area.As to the protection of overseas interests, security issues relating to overseas energy resources, strategic sea lines and security of overseas nationals and legal persons become more and more prominent.

Fourth, the internationalization of domestic issues intertwines with the domestication of international issues, which constitutes a new challenge to China’s diplomacy.The development of globalization and informationization has brought the relations between domestic and international affairs and internal and external work ever closer with increasing interactions between the two.The public is paying ever more close attention to international affairs and diplomatic work and the influence of public opinion on diplomacy is increasing.As China has entered the deep-water area of reform and the period of development mode transformation with frequently occurring contradictions while the West is attempting to play up China’s domestic problems to achieve “soft containment” of China,it is all the more an arduous task for China to maintain its domestic stability.

The above-mentioned challenges are problems China is bound to meet in the course of fast development and growth from being big to being strong.Viewed as a whole, the favorable tendency of change in the international pattern and the basic framework of relationships that have already taken shape will not change.The report to the 18th Party Congress points out that looking forward to the future five to ten years, China will remain in the period of important strategic opportunities during which a great deal can be accomplished.

The current opportunities are rare but transient.Opportunities and challenges co-exist but may mutually mutate.Hence, we must make an exact judgment on the changes of connotations and conditions of this period of important strategic opportunities, push forward the adjustment of diplomatic strategy, seize the opportunity and dispel the challenges and work hard to create a more favorable external environment and conditions for the completion of the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and the realization of the “Chinese Dream”.

III.More Continuation than Change in Diplomacy

It can be seen from the report to the 18th Party Congress and speeches made by the new central collective leadership that the fundamental foreign policy and general plan for diplomatic work remain unchanged.

First, the core thinking and ideas are the same.China will continue to hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, stick to the path of peaceful development,persistently follow the open strategy for mutually benefits and promote the building of a harmonious world of enduring peace and common prosperity.This shows that peaceful development, mutual benefit and harmonious world shall be the fundamental ideas guiding China’s diplomacy for a considerably long period of time.The call made at the Party Congress for promoting public diplomacy and people-to-people and cultural exchanges in a down-to-earth way and for protecting China’s legitimate overseas rights and interests is also the manifestation of the idea of “putting people first” and “diplomacy serving the people”.

Second, the fundamental goals and tasks remain the same.China will resolutely defend its state sovereignty, security and development interests, working hard to create a more favorable external environment and conditions for the completion of the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and the realization of the great renewal of the Chinese nation, and make its due contribution to maintaining world peace and promoting common development of the mankind.

Third, the guiding principles and policies have not changed.China will continue to adhere to the diplomatic strategic principle of“keeping a low profile and playing its due role”, follow the independent foreign policy of peace, and insist on developing friendly cooperation with various countries in an all-round way on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

As essential component part of the system of socialist diplomatic theories with Chinese characteristics, the above-listed points have given answers to a series of major questions such as what banner China will hold up on the international stage, what path it will take, what strategy it will persist on, what policies it will follow and what kind of world it advocates to build.While pointing out a clear orientation for China’s diplomatic work in the new period,they are also a fundamental response to the wide-spread concern of the international community over the direction of relations between China and the world.

It is in accordance with the development trends of the times as well as its fundamental national interests and historical and cultural traditions that China chooses to persist on the path of peaceful development and keep the continuity of its diplomatic strategy.

1.China’s basic national conditions see no changes.

It is true that China has scored tremendous achievements in its reform and opening up and development, but it is the comprehensive national strength, not a single statistic, that makes a world power.At present, the per-capita GDP of China still ranks around the 90th in the world.Problems of imbalanced, uncoordinated and unsustainable development are outstanding, obstacles in systems and mechanisms that constrain the development of the nation are many, gaps between urban and rural development as well as in income distribution among the people remain large, and cases of lethargy and corruption in some sectors are taking place easily and recurrently, which makes anticorruption struggle a tough task.With China entering the period of assault in reform, risks in opening up, development mode shifting,frequent occurrence of contradictions and running-in in external relations, challenges will be on the rise, not decline.China’s road to becoming a strong country shall not be plain sailing; plenty of things need to be done to reach the goal.

The 18th Party Congress points out in explicit terms that China is still in the primary stage of socialism and will long remain so.This basic condition of China has not changed; nor has the principal problem in our society, that is, how we can meet the ever-growing material and cultural needs of the people with backward social production;nor has China’s international position as the largest developing country in the world.We must bear in mind under any circumstances the paramount reality that China remains in the primary stage of socialism and will long remain so and base ourselves on this reality in pursuing all of our endeavors of reform and development.Premier Li Keqiang emphasizes at the press conference of the National People’s Congress that China, with a population of over 1.3 billion, still has a long way to go to accomplish its modernization and hence need to have an endurable international peaceful environment.

2.The basic trends of the world remain the same.

Peace, development and cooperation remain the mainstream of the times.Peace and development as the main theme of the times shall not change in spite of the fact that the world is far from being tranquil, hegemonism, power politics and new interventionism show their head from time to time, and regional disturbances and global issues become more prominent.The emerging markets and developing countries with their rapid development are pushing the balance of international forces to develop toward being more favorable to maintaining world peace.

In the coming period of time, no fundamental change will take place in the superiority of overall national strength of the West and their leading position in the international system.The development of the emerging markets and developing countries does not mean the end of the West.America’s economic superiority will continue to decrease due impact of the financial crisis, but its extraordinarily powerful position shall not be surpassed and superseded and it will remain the “only superpower” in a fairly long period of time thanks to its mature market mechanisms, strong sense of crisis and ability of self-revision, and in particular the soft power in the military,financial and other fields.The establishment of a multi-polar world and a fair and reasonable international order is a long, complex and zigzag process.

The current era is one of globalization and informationization and one of intermingling and intertwining symbiotic interests.The world is changing and so is China, yet the principle of China’s diplomacy serving the mission of national development and national renewal as well as its promise of safeguarding and promoting world peace and development will remain unchanged.In the meanwhile, the advancement of globalization and informationization has provided favorable conditions for China to promote its ideas of peaceful development, mutual benefit, harmonious world and others.

3.China’s diplomatic tradition has not changed.

Since the founding of New China, its diplomatic strategy has undergone several major adjustments.In the period from the birth of the People’s Republic to the eve of reform and opening up, the first generation of central collective leadership with Mao Zedong at the core made three major adjustments in light of changes in the situation and implemented, one after the other, the strategies of “leaning to one side” in unity with the Soviet Union, “two lines” opposing both imperialism and revisionism, and “one line and a vast area” against the Soviet Union.

Since reform and opening up, China entered a new period of development and its diplomatic strategy also underwent significant adjustment.A complete system of diplomatic theories came into being, that is, the diplomatic thinking of Deng Xiaoping.Extensive and profound, Deng’s diplomatic thinking contains the following most basic contents: One, diplomacy serving the nation’s central task of economic construction by striving to create a favorable external environment for reform and opening up and the modernization drive; Two, altering the “one line” strategy to follow the policy of independence and non-alignment, abandoning the practice of supporting one side in opposition to the other, and developing relations with various countries according to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence; And three, implementing the strategic principle of “keeping a low profile and playing its due role”.The third generation of central collective leadership with Jiang Zeming at the core and the Party Central Committee headed by General Secretary Hu Jintao inherited and developed China’s diplomatic strategy while adhering to Deng Xiaoping’s diplomatic thinking.

New China’s diplomacy, whether it is being inherited or developed,has always adhered to the principle of independence and served to firmly safeguard state sovereignty, security and development interests,never yielding to any pressures from the outside.This is China’s persistent policy; it has never been changed and shall never change in the future.That China follows the path of peaceful development does not mean it will give up the right to protect its national interests or it is weak and can be bullied.On issues of principle concerning China’s essential interests, China will never compromise for interests, even less to compromise its principles.

China’s diplomacy embraces profound cultural tradition.Chinese culture has all along adored the ideas of “harmony without uniformity”, “unity among man and nature”and “harmony being the most precious” and advocated cohesion of the family, good neighborliness with the neighbors and kind treatment to others in the spirit of harmony.The various dynasties in Chinese history practiced most of the time the “kingly way”, not the “way of might”, in external relations.China today has inherited the fine traditions of the Chinese culture while enriching it with connotations of the times.Weakening the ideological and interestseeking color of diplomatic work and balancing the material interests and moral pursuits are the orientation of current Chinese diplomacy.

Weakening the ideological and interest-seeking color of diplomatic work and balancing the material interests and moral pursuits are the orientation of current Chinese diplomacy.

China will not practice hegemonism even when it grows strong.The policy of good-neighborliness and friendship will only be reinforced, not weakened, no matter what great success China achieves in its development.China will always be a good neighbor,good friend and good partner of the surrounding countries.China rejects the logic of “a country will inevitably practice hegemonism when it grows strong”.Practicing hegemonism and making expansion are not elements of Chinese culture, even less Chinese policy.World history has proved that any country, no matter how strong it is, will come to no good end so long as it practices hegemonism, engages in expansion and bullies other nations.2Zhang Zhijun, “Stay Committed to Peaceful Development and Win-win Cooperation”, Speech by Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun at the Eighth Lanting Forum of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/topics/lantingluntan/t1001499.shtml.

4.Practice shows the fundamentals of China’s diplomatic strategy need not change and must not be changed.

For many years, China has never committed strategic errors in diplomatic work and China’s modernization drive has never been suspended due to diplomatic errors.Under the leadership of the Party Central Committee, China’s diplomacy has created favorable external environment and conditions for the country’s economic and social development.The fact that Chinese economy has been developing at an unprecedentedly high speed for more than 30 years indicates that achievements are the primary aspect in spite of some problems that remain to be solved with high attention.It can be said that China’s guiding principles and major policies, whether in domestic affairs or foreign relations, are correct, and practice proves they must not be altered.

It is not a simple policy proclamation but an inevitable choice China has made when saying that China’s guiding principles and major policies in foreign relations will not change.These principles, which have guided us in forcefully maintaining our national sovereignty,security and development interests and creating a favorable and largely stable external environment for our reform and opening up and the socialist modernization drive thus contributing greatly to the country’s social and political stability and people’s happy life, are well received and supported by the Chinese people.Our endeavors in striving for a peaceful international environment to develop ourselves and vigorously promoting the growth of world economy with our development thus contributing to the maintenance of world peace and stability have also won the acclaim and respect from the international community.There is no reason what so ever to change a correct policy,even less to abandon it.Just as Deng Xiaoping said that once the correct path is taken, the policy will not change; if it must change, it will be only for the better.3Zhang Zhijun, “Stay Committed to Peaceful Development and Win-win Cooperation”, Speech by Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun at the Eighth Lanting Forum of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/topics/lantingluntan/t1001499.shtml.

Peaceful development, mutual benefit and harmonious world are policy ideas and strategy that have been proved to suit China’s national conditions and the development trends of the current times.General Secretary Xi has stressed that taking the path of peaceful development is a strategic choice made by the Communist Party of China in light of the development trends of the times and the fundamental interests of China.The path of peaceful development, which has not come by easily, must be unswervingly adhered to without any wavering.

Peaceful development,mutual benefit and harmonious world are policy ideas and strategy that have been proved to suit China’s national conditions and the development trends of the current times.