Seventy Years of Chinese Diplomacy: Practical Innovation and Theoretical Construction

Yang Jiemian

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has made remarkable achievements over the past 70 years and its diplomacy has made continuous innovations in practice and in its theoretical construction. Summarizing China’s diplomacy over the past seven decades in a scientific and objective manner and looking forward to the future can help lay a solid foundation for China’s diplomacy in what is a crucial time of opportunity for the Chinese nation to realize its great rejuvenation.

Unremitting Efforts and Brilliant Achievements

Under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), adapting to the trend of the times over the past 70 years, and seeking and making good use of strategic opportunities according to changes in the national and international situation, China has overcome countless difficulties and hardships and achieved remarkable accomplishments.

Safeguarding the nation’s core interests as a constant priority

The PRC’s founding marked the end of China’s hundred years of humiliation that began with the first Opium War, and opened up a new journey of national modernization and independent diplomacy. On September 29, 1949, the first plenary session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference adopted the Common Program, which served as an interim constitution. The first article of the General Principles of the Common Program clearly stated that the PRC “strives for independence, democracy, peace, unity, prosperity and strength of China.” China thus appeared on the world stage with a brand-new posture, actively carrying out an independent diplomacy of peace to effectively safeguard the country’s core and major interests.

The Chinese government has since consistently adopted a foreign policy that resolutely pursues the nation’s core interest of maintaining national sovereignty and territorial integrity, adhering to the One China principle while opposing “two Chinas,” “one China, one Taiwan,” and “Taiwan independence.” At the same time, it has continuously improved China’s international status and played a positive role on the world stage, while safeguarding national security on its borders and in neighboring regions. In addition, China’s diplomacy has made tremendous contributions to adhering to the CPC leadership and the socialist system, maintaining social stability, and promoting national economic development.

As the development of the world and China unfolds, China defines its core national interests accordingly. In the white paper on China’s peaceful development published in 2011, the Chinese government clearly identified “state sovereignty, national security, territorial integrity and national reunification, China’s political system established by the Constitution and overall social stability, and the basic safeguards for ensuring sustainable economic and social development” as the country’s core interests.1Information Office of the State Council, PRC, China’s Peaceful Development, September 2011, http://www.gov.cn/jrzg/2011-09/06/content_1941204.htm.On January 28, 2013, shortly after becoming China’s top leader, Xi Jinping pointed out that “We must adhere to the path of peaceful development, but must not give up our legitimate rights and interests or sacrifice the core interests of the country. Any foreign country should not expect us to trade our core interests or swallow the bitter fruits that undermine China’s sovereignty, security, and development interests.”

Persistent guidance of Chinese Marxism

Chinese diplomacy benefits from the guidance of two theories, one the general Marxist and Leninist revolutionary theory with universal significance, and the other Chinese Marxism. The latter locates China’s national conditions and the world situation in the universal truth of Marxism, while enhancing the essence of Chinese traditional culture and learning from achievements of different civilizations to provide better guidance for contemporary Chinese diplomacy.2Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, Foreign Languages Press, 2014, p.249.

The inheritance and innovation of Chinese diplomatic theory. Chinese diplomatic thought comes not only from Marxism, but also from Chinese traditional culture and the country’s diplomatic practices. The CPC, in its long-time revolutionary struggle before taking power, first acquired the revolutionary theory through Leninist Marxism. Chinese diplomacy has both inherited and developed Marxism, which is the Party and country’s most important and fundamental guiding ideology. In the past 70 years, China has followed basic Marxist theories, and adhered to the CPC leadership and the socialist path. Chinese leaders including Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao have made important contributions in different historical periods to localizing Marxism and shaping diplomatic thinking with Chinese characteristics. The Xi Jinping Diplomatic Thought is the invaluable guide for contemporary Chinese diplomatic practices and is the latest embodiment of Chinese diplomatic theory.

The significance of Chinese Marxism and its diplomatic thought. Karl Marx said that “the philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways. The point however is to change it.”3Selected Works of Marx and Engels, Vol.3, People’s Publishing House, 1995, p.57.By conceptualizing and generalizing China’s rich diplomatic practices, Chinese diplomatic theory has been effective in providing guidance for orientating diplomatic practices. Over the course of 70 years, the Mao Zedong Diplomatic Thought focused on ensuring that China “stood up” and gaining space for the big Asian socialist country in the international arena, so as to lay a stable foundation for the country’s development. Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao’s diplomatic thoughts led China’s reform and opening-up to embrace the world in the process of “growing rich.” Today the Xi Jinping Diplomatic Thought is guiding China, which is “becoming strong,” to pursue major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

The promotion of progressive international ideas and theories. Over the past 70 years, China has, riding the tide of the times, upheld international justice, promoted win-win cooperation, and given impetus to the international system, the international order and global governance in a fairer and more reasonable direction. In the 1950s and 1960s, China advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as national liberation and independence movements spread around the world. At the critical historical moment when the Cold War ended, and the new century and new millennium began, China brought into focus the prominence of development when discussing the future of human society. At a time when the current globalization process has met with obstruction, and populism and unilateralism are on the rise, China stands firm in maintaining and pushing forward the trend of development by adhering to multilateralism and improving global governance, insisting on a rules-based international order, promoting free trade and technological innovation, and supporting reforms of global governance, the international system, and the international order. “A just cause enjoys abundant support.” Chinese diplomatic ideas and theories have gained more and more recognition and support internationally.

Party leadership and socialism with Chinese characteristics

Diplomacy is an important component of the overall work of the Party and the state. As emphasized by Xi Jinping, diplomacy embodies the will of the state, and must be guided by the Party’s central leadership.”4“Xi Jinping at the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs: Persist with Socialist Diplomatic Thought with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era, and Strive to Create a New Situation for Major-Country Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics,” People’s Daily, June 24, 2018, p.1.China’s diplomacy has always been under the CPC’s centralized and unified leadership and has continued to go from victory to victory.

Upholding Party leadership of diplomatic ideas and theories. The CPC has developed Chinese Marxism throughout the revolutionary period, the socialist construction period, and the reform and opening-up period. It is the fundamental ideology and guideline of China’s foreign relations.

The essence of Mao Zedong’s diplomatic thought is independence. The first generation of CPC central leadership with Mao Zedong as the core designed and implemented the guidelines, strategies, policies and mechanisms for the PRC’s foreign affairs, which completely changed the humiliating diplomacy of the past and resolutely safeguarded the independence and dignity of the country. Under the guidance of Mao Zedong’s Three Worlds theory and the strategic thinking of the “Great Triangle” composed of China, the United States and the Soviet Union, China’s diplomacy defended and promoted the country’s international status and role.

Deng Xiaoping emphasized the principle of “seeking truth from facts.” He had attached great importance to diplomacy during the last years of the “Cultural Revolution” (1966-76) when he was in charge of the work. After the third plenary session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, Deng Xiaoping, who presided over the Party and the state’s overall work, followed this principle to correct the mistakes of the past, upholding socialism with Chinese characteristics and the path of reform and opening-up. During the domestic and international political turmoil in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Deng Xiaoping upheld the Four Cardinal Principles, safeguarding national independence, dignity, security and stability on the one hand, and persisting in economic construction as the central task of government work, and reform and opening-up on the other. Deng Xiaoping’s scientific judgment of the characteristics of the times and profound insights into the international trend provided the basis for China to formulate internal and external policies, and enriched the diplomatic theories and practices of socialist China.5Selected Works of Hu Jintao, Vol.2, People’s Publishing House, 2016, pp.211-212.

Jiang Zemin’s diplomatic thought reflects the spirit of moving forward with the times. It is an important part of his major idea of Three Represents, which responds to the new situation and gives solutions to new problems in China’s international relations. Jiang Zemin’s diplomatic thought led Chinese foreign policy to seize and make good use of strategic opportunities, to respond effectively to major challenges, and to properly handle various crises. He initiated strategic partnerships in bilateral relations, and promoted regional and international cooperation, leading Chinese diplomacy to break through the rapids into the 21st century.

Peaceful development is an important part of Hu Jintao’s diplomatic thinking. As China’s top leader, Hu Jintao reaffirmed and developed the theory of peaceful development in China’s diplomacy from the perspective of building a harmonious society domestically and advocating a harmonious world internationally, which guided China’s foreign relations during the time after the 2008 global financial crisis broke out and China became the world’s second largest economy. He handled in a calm and dignified manner the North Korean nuclear issue, the South China Sea disputes, and diplomatic issues concerning Taiwan, refuting Western allegations that China would take the path in pursuit of hegemony as other great powers in history. China sought to win over neighboring countries and developing countries for their understanding and support for its peaceful development, resolutely safeguarded its overseas interests, and strove to create a more favorable international environment for the country’s domestic and foreign affairs.

The essence of Xi Jinping’s diplomatic thought is to uphold the Party’s leadership. The Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs in June 2018 summarized the ten aspects of Xi Jinping’s diplomatic thought, of which the first is to “strengthen the Party’s centralized and unified leadership over work relating to foreign affairs by safeguarding the authority of the CPC Central Committee.”6“Xi Jinping at the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs: Persist with Socialist Diplomatic Thought with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era, and Strive to Create a New Situation for Major-Country Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics.”In the new era, strengthening Party leadership over diplomatic work mainly refers to leadership in terms of ideological theory, guidelines and principles, and organizational mechanisms. In terms of ideological theory, Chinese diplomacy must persist with Chinese Marxism, socialism with Chinese characteristics, and have faith in the communist ideals. In terms of guidelines and principles, Chinese diplomacy must uphold the independent foreign policy of peace and resolutely defend the country’s sovereignty, security, and development interests. In terms of organizational mechanisms, China must continue to reform its diplomatic working systems and mechanisms, strengthen coordination in overall diplomatic work, and ensure the implementation of the CPC central leadership’s foreign policies and strategic deployment.

Upholding socialism with Chinese characteristics. History has proved that only with socialism can we save China, and only with socialism can we make China prosperous and strong. Although the socialist path has not always been smooth over the past 70 years, China has succeeded despite the difficulties.

First, in the long process of exploration, China has gradually developed socialism and major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. In the early years after the PRC’s founding, Stalinist socialism was once the only model which China could learn from and follow when it chose to embark on a socialist path, and it paid a huge price despite winning Soviet support. Eventually, in the early 1960s the relations between Chinese and Soviet communist parties and the two countries broke up due to the Soviet Union’s chauvinist and nationalist approach, the intrinsic defects of the Stalinist model, and serious ideological disputes between the two parties. However, China did not turn away from socialism because of the changes in the Soviet Union and Sino-Soviet relations. After the “Cultural Revolution,” under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, China began its reform and opening-up, and it has since developed socialism with Chinese characteristics suitable to its national conditions and responsive to the world situation. Accordingly, China has developed its diplomacy characterized by the CPC’s leadership and socialism.

Second, socialism with Chinese characteristics has far-reaching significance for the world. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, after the drastic changes in Eastern Europe and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the international communist movement hit the nadir. Faced with unprecedented difficulties, the CPC did not lose confidence in the socialist path. Deng Xiaoping pointed out that “China must have socialism and must uphold socialism.”7Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping, Vol.3, People’s Publishing House, 1993, p.326.After decades of hard work, socialism with Chinese characteristics has not fallen apart, but rather crossed the threshold into a new era and become a tower of strength of world socialism. As Xi Jinping pointed out in the report delivered at the 19th CPC National Congress, “… the path, the theory, the system and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics have kept developing, blazing a new trail for other developing countries to achieve modernization. It offers a new option for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence; and it offers Chinese wisdom and a Chinese approach to solving the problems facing mankind.”

Third, China has succeeded in defeating various plots of the West to change the attributes of China’s socialism. The West’s first bid to contain China began with the Korean War and ended with US President Richard Nixon’s visit to China. During the long 20-plus years, the US-led West imposed political, military, economic, and diplomatic encirclement and sanctions on China. Nixon’s visit to China in 1972 broke the ice in China-US relations and announced the failure of the West’s first attempt to contain socialist China. After the domestic political turmoil and the drastic changes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in the late 1980s, the United States, believing that history had come to an end, formed a new Western alliance to forge sanctions on China, which failed soon after. Adhering to “one center, two basic points,” Chinese diplomacy skillfully seized strategic opportunities when the US appealed to China concerning the Paris International Conference on Cambodia, the UN resolutions on the first Gulf War and the initiative of an APEC summit, and defeated the attempt of the West to subvert China’s socialist system. At the turn of the century, “color revolutions” in some countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Central Asia resulted in regime changes and pro-US elected governments. From 2010, turmoil and wars broke out in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria, and the Middle East entered a new round of crisis. Anti-China forces in the United States once placed high hopes on the “color revolutions” and the “Arab Spring,” trying to divert the turbulence to China and undermine its stability and development. However, these attempts failed again. Now the current US administration is applying “maximum pressure” on China. After Donald Trump came to power in 2017, the hardliners in the US re-examined their strategies and policies toward China in a comprehensive way, and concluded that the engagement policy of the past 40 years had been a complete failure. They regard China as a major rival and the US-China relationship one of strategic competition, and therefore they have encouraged the administration to exert comprehensive pressure on China. The current state of affairs is still developing, but this basic trend is unlikely to change.

Upholding the basic strategy of China’s diplomacy. Since the PRC’s founding, the CPC central leadership has set major strategic directions for China’s diplomacy in different periods and under different conditions, made strategic deployments and improved the country’s external environment, and constantly blazed new trails for China’s diplomacy.

In the early years of the People’s Republic, the CPC central leadership made a strategic decision to lean completely toward the socialist camp led by the Soviet Union given the domestic and international environment at that time. It consolidated the new-born regime of the people and ensured subsequent socialist construction of the country. In the following years, the CPC central leadership made correct decisions on major strategic issues such as opposing Soviet and US hegemony, developing relations with a great number of Third World countries, and making good use of the China-USSoviet triangle. It must be noted that the ten-year “Cultural Revolution” resulted in numerous internal and external difficulties and seriously paralyzed China’s diplomatic strategies.

China’s diplomatic strategic thinking has become more mature in the period of reform and opening-up, with clearer strategic direction, richer strategic content and greater strategic achievements. China’s diplomatic strategic thinking, with its long-term perspective, comprehensive planning and gradual advancement, based on the grand strategy of the Party and the state, serves the cause of reform and opening-up and supports the comprehensive improvement of China’s strategic environment. In terms of strategic direction, China’s diplomacy has always adhered to serving “one center” and “two basic points,” namely it serves the central task of economic construction while upholding the Four Cardinal Principles as well as reform and opening-up. In terms of strategic content, the CPC central leadership constantly adjusts and enriches the connotations of diplomatic strategy according to the development of the situation. Deng Xiaoping made the strategic decision to shift the central task to economic construction. Jiang Zemin put forward the proposition of grasping and taking advantage of strategic opportunities. Hu Jintao emphasized the strategic significance of peaceful development. Xi Jinping pointed out that China must have majorcountry diplomacy and strategic thinking with Chinese characteristics. In terms of strategic achievements, China’s diplomacy has continuously fulfilled expectations both in content and in scale, making major successes in its regional and bilateral strategies toward the United States, the Soviet Union/Russia, Europe, and Japan, as well as neighboring and developing countries. China’s strategy has also witnessed good results one after another in global governance, particularly the world economy, climate change, epidemic prevention and disaster relief.

Historical Position and Responsibilities of the Times

China’s domestic governance and diplomacy take place and develop with the interaction of its internal and external environments. Therefore, it is necessary to understand and interpret the 70 years of Chinese diplomacy in the historical context and different situations of the times. Only by so doing can we learn from the past to deepen our understanding of Chinese diplomacy, comprehend historical patterns and conform to the trend of the times, and create more glorious achievements.

Historical position of China’s diplomacy

“The law of nature is reflected in the vicissitudes of the world.” The founding of the PRC and the development of its diplomacy are the products of history as well as the driving force of historical progress. The historical status and role of China’s diplomacy can be better understood from a historical perspective. In the past 70 years, Chinese diplomacy has undergone from an era of revolution and war to one that features peace and development. Over the 70 years, China’s diplomacy has developed clear directions and goals in different historical periods of national construction and reform and opening-up.

In the period of national construction, with the need to consolidate the regime of New China, the common goal of the nation was to turn China into a modern socialist power. China’s cause of liberation and modernization was in line with the post-war trend of international politics and the modernization pursuit of newly independent countries. Regrettably, for various internal and external reasons, the historical process was tortuous, and was seriously delayed by the “Cultural Revolution.”

During the period of reform and opening-up, China’s modernization process has accelerated and improved. As an extension of domestic policy, China’s diplomacy always regards the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as its main task. The continuous improvement of China’s overall national strength has greatly increased the strength of developing countries as a whole. The rise of China and some other major developing countries is an important driving force in the era of peaceful development, which has strengthened South-South cooperation and promoted North-South dialogue, therefore changing the balance of power between Western and non-Western forces.

History evolves and time moves on. China needs to constantly align its historical position and always move in the right direction with the progress of human society. The report of the 19th CPC National Congress pointed out that “the Communist Party of China strives for both the well-being of the Chinese people and human progress. To make new and greater contributions for mankind is the Party’s abiding mission.” Xi Jinping has called on the people of all countries to work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind, to build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.

Responsibilities of the times for China’s diplomacy

Over the past 70 years, while adhering to an independent and peaceful diplomatic line and safeguarding national interests, China’s diplomacy has consciously assumed the responsibility for the common progress of the international community by offering China’s wisdom and initiatives.

Maintaining post-war world peace. China’s diplomacy has committed itself to the basic and noble cause of safeguarding world peace. In the confrontation between the East and the West in the 1950s and 1960s, on the one hand China dared to fight against the military intervention of the United States, the world’s number one military power, by supporting North Korea and Vietnam, and stopped the US wars of aggression with revolutionary wars. On the other hand, China timely went with the tide of historical development and responded to the demand for peace and construction at home and abroad by advocating the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and participating in the Geneva Conference. In the 1970s and 1980s, realizing that world wars or large-scale wars could be avoided through joint efforts of the international community, China adjusted its international strategy and launched the great course of reform and opening-up, while strengthening North-South dialogue and South-South cooperation, which enhanced the forces of developing countries in maintaining and advancing world peace. In the unfavorable situation of unbalanced international forces after the end of the Cold War, China strongly opposed to US military intervention and military strikes against Yugoslavia, and backed up the collective strength of developing countries so that the international community as a whole entered the 21st century peacefully. In the new century, China has stood firmly against US unilateralism in the international arena, opposing Western countries sending troops to Iraq, Libya and Syria. China has made efforts to maintain the United Nation’s central role and authority in international politics and security, and actively promoted a regional security cooperation framework.

Promoting multilateralism. In the early post-war years, China already recognized the potential of multilateralism in the bipolar world. While allying with the Soviet Union, China also gave great importance to establishing and developing relations with emerging independent countries, especially neighboring countries. Mao Zedong believed that “we will not be isolated”8Selected Comments of Mao Zedong on International Affairs, World Affairs Press, 1959, p.234.once united with the two forces, the socialist countries headed by the Soviet Union on the one hand, and the Asian and African countries on the other. Mao’s ideas on the power of Asian and African countries developed into the concept of “Two Intermediate Zones” in the 1960s, and further into the sophisticated Three Worlds theory in the 1970s. The rise of the Third World (later referred to as developing countries) dealt a heavy blow to the bipolar approach of the United States and the Soviet Union to dominate the world. The idea of multilateralism has been stated in the documents of every CPC National Congress since the launch of reform and openingup, and in practice China has actively opposed hegemony and strived for multilateralism.

Keeping in hand the master key to development. In the process of reform and opening-up, China keeps a firm hold on the theme of development, which determines the future and destiny of the Chinese nation. Deng Xiaoping stressed that China’s solution to all problems depended on its own development. Jiang Zemin pointed out that development was the top priority of the Party in governing the country and rejuvenating the nation. Hu Jintao emphasized that development was the master key to solving all problems in China and pointed out that “(China) must work in a peaceful international environment to develop itself and must promote world peace through its own development.”9Selected Works of Hu Jintao, Vol.2, People’s Publishing House, 2016, p.381.After the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi Jinping further stated on an international occasion that “development is the master key to solving all problems.”10Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, Vol.2, People’s Publishing House, 2017, pp.511-512.With the continuous improvement of its comprehensive national strength and increasing international contributions, China has played an extremely important role in implementing the UN Millennium Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China has shouldered the historic responsibility and demonstrated the spirit of the times in its joint efforts with the international community to promote common development, prosperity and world peace. Therefore, the Chinese approach to development has enjoyed increasing influence internationally.

Improving global governance. It is an evolutionary process for China to participate in the improvement of global governance. At a time when China was kept away from the mainstream of the international system, it prepared itself to join in the system and reform it while emphasizing struggle. From the resumption of its seat in the United Nations in 1971 to its accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001, China finally fully joined the international system and participated in global governance after 30 years of hard efforts. Since 2008, China has increasingly played the role of a world power in global governance. At present, factors of instability and uncertainty in the international situation are prominent, and protectionism, populism and unilateralism are on the rise and asserting tremendous pressure on the global governance system. In response, China has firmly upheld multilateralism and improvement of global governance on international occasions. China has also proposed the following four key development directions in global economic governance. The first is to work together for a fair and efficient global financial governance structure to maintain the overall situation of world economic stability. The second is to work together for an open and transparent global trade and investment governance structure, and to consolidate the multilateral trading system and release the potential of global trade and investment cooperation. The third is to work together for a green and low-carbon global energy governance structure and promote global green development cooperation. The fourth is to work together for an inclusive and interconnected global development governance structure to achieve the goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and increase the well-being of all mankind.11Shi Zhihong, “Distinctive Characteristics of the Times in the Ideas of Comprehensively Deepening Reform,” People’s Daily, September 5, 2018, p.10.

Blazing a New Trail for China’s Diplomacy

Looking back on history, we must stay true to our mission. On the basis of what has been achieved, China’s diplomacy will deliver on a greater goal. By the middle of this century, on the centenary of the People’s Republic, China is to have become a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful. However, over the next 30 years, seeing both opportunities and challenges, we must well prepare ourselves, strengthening bottom-line thinking and crisis awareness.

Consolidating the foundation for major-country diplomacy

Over the next 30 years, major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics will be assigned more tasks in a more complicated international situation. We must examine and understand the basic issues facing Chinese diplomacy with a forward-looking perspective.

China’s increasingly strong overall national strength is the main basis for major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. With the changing and evolving internal and external situations, China must continue to make headway in enhancing both its hard power and soft power over the next 30 years. On the one hand, China needs to maintain an adequate rate of economic growth, continuously enhance its economic quality and capabilities, strengthen scientific and technological innovation, and improve its economic development system. On the other hand, China must uphold Chinese Marxism to continuously carry forward China’s fine cultural traditions, better control its national economic lifeline, motivate the people to keep up high morale, and adapt to the diverse development of society. China must step up reform of mechanisms for work relating to foreign affairs to enhance the strength and stamina of China’s diplomacy through good use of state power.

In terms of basic content, China needs to expand its diplomatic breadth and depth at global, regional and national levels, and in terms of different fields and agendas. Foreign policy-makers must start to think about questions that they used not to do, such as to how to exert influence on international public opinion, and must participate in activities they used not to be usually involved in, such as mediation. They must engage in actions that they previously did not deeply engage in, such as international counter-terrorism military operations, learn to lead organizations they seldom led before, such as NGOs, and fund more programs that they previously did not pay enough attention to, such as international rescue and aid programs. To this end, we should adopt a modest and cautious attitude and learn from others in the areas that we were not familiar with before; and we must have supporting policy measures in the areas of international affairs where there is an emerging or increased importance; and we must strengthen top-level design and pilot operation on issues which concern a wide coverage or imply great influence.

Enhancing capacity and self-awareness of major-country diplomacy

Capacity building and improvement of self-awareness in China’s majorcountry diplomacy interact as both cause and effect. On the one hand, the capability of major-country diplomacy comes from practices, particularly from increased participation and greater role in major international affairs. To take the G20 mechanism as an example, China acted only as an extension of the G8 mechanism, as part of the “G8+5,” when its national strength was not strong enough. China is now an important member of the G20 and plays a major role in it as its national strength has substantially increased. On the other hand, to raise self-awareness in its major-country diplomacy, China must improve its rational understanding and initiative spirit. China’s major-country diplomacy is the responsibility of history, the call of the times, and also an important part of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Only with such a lofty historical perspective, political consciousness, great practices, and spirit of struggle, can we manage to blaze a new trail for majorcountry diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

Improving international leading role of major-country diplomacy

China must recognize its historical responsibility and its duties of the times in the evolution of the international order, and understand the importance and necessity of strengthening cooperation with the international community. It is evident that no matter how strong it grows, China acting alone will have limits to its strength. It needs to work together with the international community. Therefore, China must achieve maximum international consensus through exchanges and cooperation, providing its views and approaches on issues of common and deep concern to the rest of the world, and take a more effective lead in international economic, scientific and technological, and cultural affairs.

Deepening strategic thinking and layout of major-country diplomacy

China needs to outline its diplomatic strategic thinking for the next 30 years. First it needs to define its strategic goals. The overall strategic goal of the country is to develop China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful by the middle of the 21st century. Accordingly, the strategic goal of China’s diplomacy is to create a good internal and external environment to enable China to become a global leader in terms of comprehensive national strength and international influence, and a proud and active member of the international community. The second is to lay out the defined strategies, which means formulating a master plan for China’s diplomacy including strategic focal points, priorities and key areas, to enhance strategic focus and avoid strategic mistakes, promote bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, and improve global and regional governance capabilities. The third is to innovate strategic ideas. To achieve strategic goals and implement strategic plans for China’s diplomacy requires continuous innovative ideas. The most important strategic concept of China’s diplomacy is to uphold the idea of a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation. This new idea for international relations has its origins in China but will benefit the whole world. Only by joint efforts with the rest of the world can China truly advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind under the guidance of this new idea.

Strengthening theoretical construction of major-country diplomacy

Theoretical construction is one of the important features that distinguish China’s major-country diplomacy from that of others. In the construction of the theoretical system, China must have broader ideas and a wider scope besides focusing on diplomacy with a narrow definition.

On the one hand, we must fully understand the logical and dialectical relationship between the general system and the sub-system. In carrying out modernization construction and the historic project of great national rejuvenation, China is equipped with Chinese Marxism and its contemporary interpretation, namely the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Under this general system, the theory of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics guided by Xi Jinping Diplomatic Thought is an important sub-system. Over the next 30 years, the theoretical system and the sub-system still need to keep pace with the times in practice, and enrich their content through constant summaries and reflections. In the field of foreign affairs, only under the framework of the general system can we better comprehend and construct the sub-system, exert greater initiative spirit, and possess theoretical consciousness and selfconfidence. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Diplomatic Thought, the theory of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics needs to have its inherent logic refined its relationship with the general system strengthened in the aspects of environment analysis, overall idea, strategic thinking, and policy principles. At the same time, we must strengthen the guidance of diplomatic theory on practice. In the unprecedentedly changing international situation, we must discover and grasp historical laws, while following and advancing the trend of the times.

On the other hand, we must promote the constructive interaction between political construction and academic research. The political construction and academic research of Chinese diplomacy are closely related. Without the guidance of correct political theory, academic research will lose its direction; and without academic research, political theory is difficult to develop in depth. The political construction of China’s diplomacy should focus on solving the fundamental problems of diplomacy, namely those concerning direction, goals and objects, and must serve to facilitate understanding of the world from a theoretical perspective and explore approaches to transformation of the world. Academic research needs to focus on professional development, prioritizing the understanding of and response to major diplomatic issues, such as disciplinary construction, academic analysis, and knowledge accumulation. Over the next 30 years, academic construction must accelerate to establish the disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system of international relations and diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, produce a series of high-quality publications, and cultivate a team of international relations scholars and diplomats with a good knowledge of both China and the world. In addition, for China’s diplomatic theory to go to the world and exert greater international influence, the promotion of rigorous academic research results is required through the building of think tank platforms and more international academic exchanges.

Conclusion

Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, China’s domestic construction and diplomacy has made glorious achievements over the past 70 years. Through the next 30 years of hard work, China will develop into a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful. In this great historical process, the major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics has an important and special task. We must follow the historical trend, and define a clearer and more feasible medium- to long-term diplomatic strategy with specific goals at different stages, bearing in mind the mission of safeguarding world peace and enhancing the well-being of humanity.

Lofty goals for a bright future can only be achieved through hard work and unremitting efforts. In the next 30 years, China will face a more complicated and uncertain international environment. The internal and external challenges for China’s diplomacy will be more diverse and the task will be more arduous. Given this, while enhancing practical and theoretical consciousness, China’s diplomacy must strive to create a favorable environment for building a modernized strong country, promote friendly cooperation with other countries and regions around the world, and establish a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation. It must also strive to build the community with a shared future for mankind, and an inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity. To this end, we must stay firm and proceed under the guidance of Chinese Marxism, continue to carry forward fine Chinese cultural traditions, and blaze a new trail of major-country diplomacy to embrace a more brilliant tomorrow.