Seventy Years of Diplomatic Achievements Since the Founding of the People's Republic of China

Zheng Zeguang

The birth of the People's Republic of China 70 years ago set China's foreign relations on a momentous and dauntless journey. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China's foreign policy in the past seven decades has been focused on promoting national rejuvenation, domestic development and reform and opening-up, on safeguarding China's sovereignty, security and development interests, and on maintaining world peace and bolstering common development. With tireless efforts, China has braved thorny obstacles and made historic achievements. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China has built on past progress, overcome difficulties and challenges, and broken new ground in pursuing major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

The highlights of China's diplomatic achievements in the past 70 years can be seen in the following six aspects:

First, building a global network of partnerships. The number of countries having diplomatic relations with China has grown from 18 to 180, and China has established partnerships with 110 countries, advancing its diplomatic agenda in a comprehensive, multi-level, multifaceted way. China's relations with major countries have enjoyed overall stability and balanced development. The China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination has entered a new era and has been growing with a strong momentum. The China-US relations have kept moving forward amid some twists and turns, and made historic progress. The China-Europe relationship has grown in both depth and breadth, and continues to make headway toward the partnerships for peace, growth, reform and civilization.

We have deepened friendship with neighboring countries on the basis of the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness to forge a community with a shared future in the neighborhood. We have strengthened unity and cooperation with other developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America by pursuing the greater good and shared interests and in keeping with the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith. These efforts have won China more and more partners and friends around the world.

Second, contributing to the domestic development, reform and opening-up. Overcoming the various difficulties in the early years of the People's Republic, China successfully opened the door of engagement on an equal footing with other countries. Since reform and opening-up, China has shifted the focus of its foreign policy to the country's full engagement with and participation in the international economic system, contributing its share to facilitating the use of both domestic and international markets and resources and building an open economy. Six years ago, President Xi Jinping put forth the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Since then, over 160 countries and international organizations have signed cooperation agreements with China. The BRI has become the most popular public good and the largest platform for international cooperation. The second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held last April ushered in a new stage of high-quality BRI development and represented the latest progress of joint efforts by China and the rest of the world to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Third, firmly safeguarding China's sovereignty, security, and development interests. This is a sacred mission of China's foreign policy. Ever since the founding of the People's Republic of China, we have stood firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace and unequivocally opposed imperialism and hegemonism. The fighting spirit and never yielding to intimidation has all along been in the veins of China's diplomacy. We have firmly safeguarded the One-China principle and resolutely opposed separatist activities of “Taiwan independence”. We have fully and faithfully implemented the principle of “one country, two systems”, achieved the smooth return of Hong Kong and Macao to the motherland, and resolutely opposed the interference of external forces in Hong Kong affairs. We have firmly rejected foreign interference in China's internal affairs through Xinjiang or Tibet-related issues.

We have delineated and demarcated our boundaries with 12 out of the 14 countries sharing land borders with us and firmly defended our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. We have actively participated in and pushed forward international cooperation in fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism, engaged in the international human rights struggle, and assisted in fugitive repatriation and recovery of illgotten assets from other countries. We have firmly upheld multilateralism and the multilateral trading regime, and promoted the building of an open world economy, which effectively protected China's space for development and long-term interests.

Fourth, significantly enhancing China's international standing and influence. With 70 years of unrelenting efforts, China is moving ever closer to the center of the world stage. China has become the second largest economy in the world and the second largest contributor to the UN regular budget and peacekeeping assessment. It now has the third largest quota and voting power in both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Four UN specialized agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization, are headed by Chinese nationals. China has promoted the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with concrete actions, taken an active part in the global response to climate change, and sent more peacekeepers than any other permanent member of the UN Security Council. All this fully demonstrates the role China has played as a responsible major country.

We have also successfully hosted summits under such multilateral frameworks as the G20, APEC, BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, and established the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the BRICS New Development Bank, thus increasing China's say in the agenda-setting and rule-making, and its voice in international discourse. We have facilitated solutions to international hotspot issues in a distinctly Chinese way and played a constructive role in preserving and promoting regional and global peace and stability.

Fifth, contributing China's wisdom and solutions to the world. Over the past 70 years, China has put forward a series of important principles and propositions on diplomacy, from the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the “three worlds” theory, and highlighting peace and development as the main theme of the time, to standing for multi-polarity, democracy in international relations, and building a harmonious world.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, striving for new theories and practices in China's foreign relations, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has advocated a new model of international relations, a community with a shared future for mankind, the principle of putting the greater good first, and new ideas on development, security and global governance. Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy has thus taken shape and been established, opening new horizons for the theories and practices of China's foreign policy.

The first volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China has been published in 32 editions in 28 languages and released in over 160 countries and regions. The success of socialism with Chinese characteristics has broadened the path for developing countries to realize modernization and offered a new approach for countries and nations to achieve fast development while preserving their independence.

Sixth, staying true to people-centered diplomacy. Today's China is deeply connected with the world, with the Chinese people making 170 million outbound visits last year, over 1.5 million Chinese students studying overseas and about 40,000 Chinese companies operating in foreign countries. Wherever they go, they can count on the consular protection from their country.

In recent years, we have conducted more than 10 emergency evacuations of Chinese nationals from foreign countries, such as Yemen, and processed over 500,000 cases of consular protection involving nearly one million Chinese citizens. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has opened the 12308 consular hotline and actively promoted visa facilitation. With the signing of agreements on mutual visa exemption for various types of passports with 146 countries, it is now more convenient to travel with a Chinese passport. Chinese passport-holders can now travel to 70 countries and regions visa free or with visa on arrival.

Over the past 70 years, China has forged ahead against all odds and embarked on a path of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. Among the valuable experience we have gained in this process, the most important is this: We must firmly adhere to the Party leadership and the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. We must keep to an independent foreign policy of peace and advocate the basic norms governing international relations underpinned by the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. We must continue to oppose hegemony and power politics and always stand with other developing countries. We must steadfastly uphold sovereignty, security and development interests. We must advance both our own interests and the common development of mankind. And we must seek truth from facts, progress with the times, and keep innovating. Above all, China's remarkable diplomatic achievements are owed to the strong leadership of the Party, the support of the Chinese people, as well as the understanding and support of the international community and foreign friends.

As the world undergoes profound changes unseen in a century, China is facing both unprecedented opportunities and new risks and challenges in its foreign relations. We are confident that with General Secretary Xi Jinping at the helm, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, and with the strong support of the 1.4 billion hardworking and courageous Chinese people, China's foreign policy, standing at a new historical starting point, will achieve even greater success and make new and greater contributions to the realization of the two centenary goals and the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.

Vice Minister Zheng's response to questions regarding the achievements of China's diplomacy in the past 70 years

Question: You mentioned that the BRI proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping has opened up new prospects for China's international cooperation. What difference has the initiative made to China and to the world?

Answer: The BRI received an immediate warm international response when General Secretary Xi Jinping put it forward six years ago. It is a central component of China's endeavor to take its all-round openingup to the next level. In the past six years, our policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity with other countries has strengthened. We have encouraged both inbound and outbound investment and business activities and supported the overseas relocation of high-quality industrial capacity. We are developing international transportation links for better allocation of resources and factors of production worldwide. All these efforts aim to raise the quality and level of China's opening-up, and forge stronger synergies between the coastal and inland areas and between the eastern and western regions in the openingup process.

The BRI is a Chinese initiative, but it will generate opportunities and benefits for the whole world. In pursuing Belt and Road cooperation, we will continue to follow the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. Our aim is to pursue open, green and clean cooperation, achieve high-standard, people-centered and sustainable development and unlock the growth potential of all participating countries by enhancing infrastructure connectivity. This way, we will be able to provide an anchor of stability and source of confidence for the world economy.

According to the studies of the World Bank, along the Belt and Road economic corridors, travel time will be cut by 12 percent when completed; trade will grow between 2.8 and 9.7 percent; and BRI projects are expected to increase world GDP by 2.9 percent. By matching itself with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the BRI provides new impetus to the global response to development issues. In just six years, trade between China and BRI participating countries has topped six trillion US dollars. China has invested over 100 billion US dollars in these countries. The BRI provides a new platform for international trade and investment and more space for world economic growth. It points to a new pathway toward more balanced globalization and a fresh opportunity for the development of all participating countries. China is ready to work with all other countries to make Belt and Road cooperation even more fruitful.

Question: This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 40th anniversary of China-US diplomatic relations. What is your perspective on the outlook of the China-US relationship?

Answer: Over the past four decades, China-US relations have gone through ups and downs and come a long way. The growth of the relationship has brought tremendous benefits to people of both countries and contributed greatly to peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific and beyond.

China-US relations have once again come to a crossroads. The harmful words and actions of the United States on a series of major issues concerning trade and Taiwan have created difficulties for the development of the bilateral relations. This not only harms the fundamental interests of the people of the two countries, but also goes against the expectations of the international community.

A Chinese proverb puts it well, “A man at the age of 40 should have no more doubts about life.” The past four decades of China-US relations point to one simple fact: Cooperation benefits both countries whereas confrontation hurts both. Respecting each other and expanding common ground while setting aside differences is the right way forward. As the China-US relationship heads into its fifth decade, it is important that both sides keep in mind the journey this relationship has traversed, draw on the experience and lessons of history, recognize the trend of the times and work together to realize the great promise of this relationship.

China has always viewed and handled its relations with the US on the basis of the fundamental interests of the people of the two countries and people the world over. It is our hope that the United States will work with us in the same spirit to follow the direction and principles agreed by the two Presidents, manage differences on the basis of mutual respect, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and jointly advance the China-US relations based on coordination, cooperation, and stability. This is how the two countries can increase the well-being of their own peoples and people across the world.