DIPLOMACY IN 2021 AND BEYOND

By Zhong Cheng

The year 2021 brought nu- merous developments in international and regional arenas， from the COVID-19 worldwide spread and climate change， to the hasty withdrawal of the U.S. from Afghanistan and the renewed attention to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. From the faltering of supply chains， to the debut of the AUKUS deal， which will enable Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines with technology provided by the U.S. and Britain. Some 84 million people around the world have been forcibly displaced from their homes during the year. The persistent impact of the pandemic， setbacks in global economic recovery and widening North-South gap have all created new areas of global weakness and instability.

What all these things have in common are their crucial impact on the security and wellbeing of each and every country and the fact that no one country can handle any global challenges alone. The world is in a battle for ideas， values， and the protection of sovereign democracies from outside influence and interference， resulting in global governance undergoing profound changes.

Under the firm guidance of President Xi Jinpings broad vision and overall leadership， China has conducted diplomacy with a global vision to serve the nation and its people， and fostered an enabling external environment through struggle and cooperation. Underlying everything China has done is one clear theme： to serve national rejuvenation amid a complex situation and advance peaceful development in a fast-changing world.

Head-of-state diplomacy

The most dynamic guide of action is head-of-state diplomacy. Chinas head-of-state diplomacy has effectively deepened the worlds understanding that Chinas development is a global benefit and a common source for enrichment， promoted the overall stability of the relations among major countries and enabled China to build a more comprehensive and solid global partnership network.

President Xi， out of his keen understanding of the changing international dynamics and the trends of the times， has put forward a number of major initiatives， including building a global community of health for all， a community of life for humans and nature， and a global community of development with a shared future. In his 79 meetings and phone calls with foreign leaders and heads of international organizations， and 40 important diplomatic events chaired and attended via video link， President Xi deepened Chinas friendship with its neighbors， enhanced the mutually beneficial cooperation with other developing countries， expanded the convergence of interests in win-win cooperation and forged strong synergy for building a community with a shared future for humanity.

The Chinese and Russian presidents have had four telephone conversations and virtual meetings， marking the 20th anniversary of the signing of the ChinaRussia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation. They have officially announced the extension of this treaty and enriched the traditional friendship in the new era. China and Russia have advanced common development through all-round， practical cooperation， adhered to the four-point agreement on showing firm support for each others efforts to uphold ones own sovereignty， security， territorial integrity and other core interests， and further deepened political mutual trust. The China-Russia Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation ended successfully， the bilateral trade volume reached a new high， and the strategic large projects in fields such as energy， aviation and aerospace， and interconnection picked up the pace. The two sides coordinated closely in international and regional affairs， practiced true multilateralism， upheld peace， development， fairness， justice， democracy and freedom， and injected valuable stability and positive energy into the complicated international situation. This relationship has set a good example for major-country relations and interactions between neighbors， and become a pillar of international fairness and justice.

In the two telephone conversations and one virtual meeting with President Joe Biden， President Xi outlined a strategic framework of mutual respect， peaceful coexis- tence and win-win cooperation for China-U.S. relations， charting the course for the sound and steady growth of this relationship. China has clearly set “three red lines，” urging the U.S. not to challenge Chinas path and system， obstruct Chinas development process， or infringe on Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity. The U.S. side has come to realize that China will by no means make any concessions under the threat of maximum pressure， and that such practices will ultimately hurt U.S. interests. There have been statements from the U.S. leader and some senior officials that the U.S. does not seek a new cold war， it does not seek to change Chinas system， the revitalization of its alliances is not anti-China， it does not support “Taiwan independence，” and it has no intention to have a conflict or confrontation with China.

China-EU relations have been further advanced amid challenges. President Xi has attended two video summits with French and German leaders， and a China-Central and Eastern European Countries summit has been held via video link. The China-EU agreement on geographical indications has come into force. Steady progress has been made in flagship Belt and Road projects such as the Piraeus Port and the BudapestBelgrade Railway. High-level dialogues on the environment and climate and in the digital field have been officially launched. China and the EU have achieved positive outcomes in upholding multilateralism， enhancing global governance， tackling climate change and jointly responding to COVID-19.

President Xi chaired the Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of ChinaAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations （ASEAN） Dialogue Relations via video link， and announced with leaders of ASEAN countries the upgrade of China-ASEAN relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. China and ASEAN have stepped up cooperation in the digital economy， blue economy and green economy， reached common understandings on promoting synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the priority areas of cooperation outlined in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. Solid and substantive progress has been made in building the Lancang-Mekong Development Belt.

Iran has been admitted to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The first offline foreign ministers meeting between China and five Central Asian countries has been held. Chinas friendship and cooperation with the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea， the Republic of Korea （ROK） and Mongolia have maintained good momentum. Chinese and Japanese leaders have reached common understandings on developing a bilateral relationship that answers the call of the new era. China and India have effectively managed and controlled frictions in certain border areas under a shared commitment to improving bilateral relations. The two sides have stood together in fighting COVID-19. The freedom of navigation and overflight has been protected in accordance with law， and the South China Sea issue has been effectively managed under the framework of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

Cooperation between China and Africa has reached a new climax. 2021 marked the 65th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between China and African countries. President Xi attended the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation via video link， highlighted the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation featuring sincere friendship and equality， mutual benefit and common development， fairness and justice， progress with the times， and openness and inclusiveness. This is a new milestone in ChinaAfrica relations.

Relations between China and Latin American and Caribbean （LAC） countries have made steady progress. A three-year roadmap for cooperation was formulated at the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Forum of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. High-quality Belt and Road cooperation with LAC countries has been further substantiated. New progress has been made in energy， electricity， transportation， communications and other areas of cooperation. Chinas relations with other members of the developing world， including Arab countries and Pacific island countries， have also made headway.

Contributing to pandemic control

As the world continues to suffer from the ongoing or aftermath of the pandemic turmoil， it is worth noting that China has played a major role in the global fight.

China has launched the Global Vaccine Cooperation Action Initiative and the Initiative for Belt and Road Partnership on COVID-19 Vaccines Cooperation， and has been a pacesetter for closer international cooperation. It has been among the first to promote global cooperation against the pandemic， the first to commit to making COVID-19 vaccines a global public good， to support waiving intellectual property rights on vaccine research and development， and to start joint production with other developing countries. It has been at the forefront for the equitable distribution of vaccines.

China has provided about 372 billion masks， over 4.2 billion protective suits and over 8.4 billion testing kits to the international community， as well as more than 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to over 120 countries and international organizations. One out of every two COVID-19 vaccines administered across the globe is made in China. China has pledged another 1 billion doses of vaccines to Africa and an additional donation of 150 million doses to ASEAN countries. Upholding the primary feature of vaccines as a global public good， Chinese vaccines have become truly accessible for the people.

China was also among the first to conduct global origin-tracing cooperation with the World Health Organization （WHO）. Upholding the golden rule of taking a science-based approach and rejecting the politicization of origins tracing， China has called for fighting not only the coronavirus but also the political virus. China and the WHO have released a joint report on the origins of the virus， demonstrating a commitment to openness， transparency and international cooperation. Over 80 countries have written to the WHO to express their opposition to politicization of origins tracing. More than 25 million Chinese have joined the online petition calling for the WHO to investigate the Fort Detrick bio-lab in the U.S. Both the coronavirus and the political virus will be defeated by humanity in the end.

Peace and development

2021 saw China working in concert with the world， pursuing common development and rejuvenation with its neighbors and other developing countries， opening up new scope for South-South cooperation， injecting new impetus into economic recovery and creating new opportunities for common development.

President Xi announced， on many occasions including the Boao Forum for Asia， the World Economic Forum in Davos， the China International Fair for Trade in Services， and the China International Import Expo （CIIE）， a string of new measures such as a shorter negative list， a more businessfriendly environment and greater institutional opening up， to open wider to the world. This has attested to Chinas commitment to openness and inclusiveness， adding momentum to promoting global economic recovery.

China has no interest in the so-called “competition of systems” with other countries. Rather， it focused on development as the solution to all problems. President Xi put forth the Global Development Initiative during the General Debate of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly， which aims to complement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and create synergy among countries to achieve more robust， greener and more balanced global development. Its most fundamental pursuit is to meet the aspirations of people around the world for a better life and realize the common values of humanity. China will deepen practical cooperation in priority areas of the Global Development Initiative to generate strong synergy for attaining， on schedule， the UNs 17 Sustainable Development Goals， and will deliver its commitment to provide an additional $3 billion of international assistance in the next three years， support other developing countries and work with all parties to build a global community of development with a shared future.

China has facilitated the entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership（RCEP） and applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership（CPTPP） and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement， taking new steps toward regional cooperation in the face of protectionist headwinds. The Fourth CIIE drew a record number of 127 countries and regions and 3，000 companies.

Experience in 2021 once again showed that Belt and Road cooperation has become a road of hope that bolsters resilience and boosts confidence. The third symposium on the Belt and Road Initiative has drawn up a new blueprint. The China-Europe Railway Express has become an anchor of stability for global supply chains. The China-Laos Railway has helped Laos achieve its dream of becoming a land-linked country. Facts prove that the Belt and Road Initiative has never been a geopolitical strategy， but a road of development that helps deliver the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and drives shared progress and prosperity. The initiative serves as a road of opportunity that delivers mutual benefit. It is a green road that facilitates low-carbon growth， environmental protection and climate response.

On Afghanistan， China has encouraged the new Afghan administration to follow a policy of inclusiveness， counter-terrorism and good-neighborliness and to fight all terrorist organizations including the “East Turkistan Islamic Movement，” worked for the launch of a new mechanism of the Foreign Ministers Meeting on the Afghan Issue Among the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan， provided emergency humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan， and opened an air freight corridor for Afghan pine nuts， bringing real benefits to the people of Afghanistan.

On Myanmar， China has made active mediation efforts to help deescalate the situation， and encouraged a relaunch of the democratic transition process in Myanmar， supported Myanmar in working with ASEAN to implement the consensus reached and firmly opposed undue external intervention.

Sovereignty and territorial integrity

Confronted by various acts of infringement and bullying， China has built a strong line of defense for safeguarding national interests.

There is only one China in the world. Chinas sovereignty and territorial integrity have never been severed and will not be severed. This is the true status quo of the Taiwan question and also the essence of the 1992 Consensus reflecting the oneChina principle， and therefore forms the foundation for pursuing peaceful development of cross-Straits ties. In response to the attempt of the Taiwan authorities to seek American support for “independence” and the intention of a very few countries to use the Taiwan question to contain China， China has issued stern warnings and taken forceful countermeasures， deterring the separatist forces for “Taiwan independence.”China has restored diplomatic relations with Nicaragua， raising the number of countries having diplomatic ties with China to 181 and further consolidating the international consensus on one China. The reunification of China is an unstoppable and inexorable trend.

By inviting people from around the world to Xinjiang， China has busted lies and falsehoods with facts. It has opposed external interference in Hong Kong affairs， successfully rallied 173 countries in co-sponsoring and adopting an Olympic truce resolution， showcasing strong international support for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing.

China has done its utmost to serve domestic development and the interests of its people through diplomacy. It has successfully hosted events to build new bridges for different localities to open up wider to the world. China opened “fast tracks” for the travel of essential personnel and“green lanes” for the shipment of emergency COVID-19 supplies to ensure unimpeded domestic and international circulations for the fostering of a new development paradigm. China has launched a program to get Chinese nationals abroad vaccinated against COVID-19， provided risk assessment and alert services around the globe， and helped Chinese enterprises and personnel operating overseas enhance security and selfprotection capabilities. It has also evacuated Chinese from high-risk areas， responded properly to major terrorist attacks， and went all out to rescue Chinese hostages.

Defending justice

In 2021， China commemorated the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the Peoples Republic of China in the UN and held high the banner of true multilateralism.

There is but one international system in the world—the international system with the UN at its core. There is but one set of rules in the world—the basic norms of international relations underpinned by the UN Charter. China unequivocally pointed out that countries need to uphold the authority and standing of the UN， jointly oppose division and confrontation， stand together against zero-sum games， and make constant efforts for greater democracy in international relations.

China has foiled anti-China moves at multilateral forums， pushed back false accusations and disclosed the hypocrisy of the self-styled “champions of human rights.” At the Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly， China has thwarted antiChina motions four times in a row in 2021. Nearly 100 countries expressed their support for Chinas just stance at the UN and their strong opposition to stirring up trouble and interfering in Chinas internal affairs under the pretext of human rights.

In addition， China has taken an active part in shaping the global governance system on climate， the environment， health and digital development. It has expounded on the building of a community of life for humans and nature， and a community of all life on Earth， offering Chinas wisdom and solutions to the reform of the global governance system.

Promoting true democracy

In 2021， the U.S. sought to employ democracy as an additional tool in managing its strategy toward China， trying to fabricate this conflict as a false juxtaposition of democracy versus authoritarianism. This division proves to be a failure， and reveals the predicament of democracy in its Western experience.

China has refuted false narratives， set the record straight， put forth its successful practice of whole-process peoples democracy， safeguarded the true spirit of democracy， and promoted a right understanding of what democracy is about.

More significant is that an important and necessary global debate has been triggered to answer many questions： What are the highest values of human societies？ How to achieve these values？ Is democracy a means or an end？ How to restore the basic and supreme values of democracy， and achieve the required balance between democratic values and procedures？ This debate also raises important questions on whether there is a single form of democracy in the human experience and whether democracy imposed from abroad can work.

The Chinese answer is clear： There is no single form of democracy， and therefore no particular model or form should be imposed on any society. Dividing the world into democratic and non-democratic according to the simple American conception will only fuel unwanted conflict in the global system， and create new tensions. It is an increasing global call to oppose monopolizing the definition of democracy and dividing the world along ideological lines.

One of the most striking features of the Communist Party of China （CPC） is that philosophy and values of democracy are rooted within the CPC and the Chinese political system， as distinct from the aspects and traditional procedural components known in democracies according to the Western experience.

Chinas good governance， which combines high economic growth with social stability， has been appealing to and gained more recognition from the world today. The fundamental reason lies in the CPCs leadership， which is the greatest political strength and fundamental guidance for Chinas diplomacy， and the institutional guarantee for all its diplomatic achievements. Any attempt to draw a distinction between the CPC and the Chinese people is doomed to fail.

Looking forward

2022 is of significance to many countries. Eye-catching elections on every continent will shape not just domestic politics and economics， but also international relations well into the 2020s. In Europe， the standouts are the French and Serbian elections. In Asia-Pacific， there will be elections in the ROK and the Philippines. Turning to the Americas， the two eye-catching ballots will be in Brazil and the U.S.

There will also be notable historical anniversaries to mark in 2022： the 50th anniversary of President Richard Nixon and Chairman Mao Zedong shaking hands on February 21， 1972； the 50th anniversary of the release of the Shanghai Communiqué on February 28， 1972； the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty on May 26， 1972； the 25th anniversary of Chinas resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong on July 1， 1997； and the 25th anniversary of the UN adoption of the Kyoto Protocol on December 11， 1997.

It will also be a critical year for China. In 2022， China will guard against and address all sorts of external risks and challenges， tell the stories of the CPC and the Chinese people， and foster a secure and stable external environment for the success of the 20th CPC National Congress. China will make solid efforts for the success of the Beijing 2022 Games， presenting a streamlined， safe and splendid Olympic Games to the world. China will shape the course of reform of the global governance system， continue to hold high the banner of true multilateralism， and contribute more Chinese wisdom to the reform and improvement of the global governance system.

China will take proactive steps to tackle the challenges of the postCOVID-19 era， enhance support for realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development， and promote comprehensive implementation of the Global Development Initiative. China will continue to resolutely safeguard its core interests， fight off any attempts to infringe upon its sovereignty， security and development interests， and repulse any moves to undermine the Chinese peoples legitimate rights and interests. China will facilitate the stable and smooth functioning of global industrial and supply chains， take an active part in global climate governance， lend a stronger impetus to Chinas domestic endeavor of promoting green and low-carbon transition and development. China will implement the RCEP well， advance its accession to the CPTPP， and explore ways to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation with Europe， Africa， Latin America and the Caribbean. China will work to steer Americas China policy back to reason， bring China-U.S. relations back on the right track， and jointly explore with the U.S. how two major countries with different systems， cultures and development stages can coexist in peace， for the good of the people in both countries and around the world.

In 2022， China will continue to make greater contributions to humanity， but this does not mean that Chinas model and ideology are to be exported. China is ready to stand on the right side of history， the side of human progress， the side of international equity and justice， and the side of the vast number of developing countries. BR