Wang Yi： China’s Foreign Policy Enters a New Era

Wang Yi

As China takes on a greater role in the world， it embraces a new outlook， new accomplishments and new responsibilities， explains Chinas foreign minister

We have taken stock of our achievements and broken new ground in Chinas diplomacy in the year of 2017. The world is at a crucial stage of evolving international landscape and shifting balance of power， facing growing destabilizing and uncertain factors and new problems and challenges on multiple fronts. As for China， in 2017 the 19th Communist Party of China （CPC） National Congress successfully held established the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era， opened up new horizons for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics， and set out the direction and objectives of Chinas diplomacy in the new era. This has given Chinese answers to the serious questions confronting the world. That is to say， China believes it is essential to advance peace， development and win-win cooperation， foster a new form of international relations and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee in 2017， we have earnestly implemented the new thinking， new ideas and new measures put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping in the past five years by taking active， innovative and pioneering steps， and made many breakthroughs and important headway in our diplomatic work. These achievements can be summed up in the following five aspects：

First， we have drawn up the blueprint for jointly undertaking the Belt and Road Initiative. In the past four years since President Xi Jinping put it forward， this major initiative has been translated from an envisioned concept into real action and progress on the ground. The initiative has delivered real benefits through win-win cooperation and attracted extensive attention and participation.

In May of 2017， President Xi Jinping successfully chaired the first Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation （BRF） in Beijing. It became the most extensively attended and most highly represented multilateral diplomatic event that China had initiated and hosted. And it produced a broad consensus among the nations from across the world on jointly advancing the Belt and Road Initiative.

At the BRF， President Xi Jinping set out the objective of building the Belt and Road into a road for peace， prosperity， opening-up， innovation and exchanges among civilizations. Plans were laid out for future cooperation under the Belt and Road framework， presenting the prospects for common development and prosperity. Underpinned by real actions and concrete projects， the BRF produced over 270 specific results under 76 broad categories across five key areas. A series of major projects were launched on the ground during the forum. A win-win cooperation network is coming into being， centering around the Eurasian continent and reaching out to continents and oceans across the world. And an international cooperation platform has been put into place for countries to synergize their development strategies and complement each other with comparative strengths for enhanced connectivity and inclusive and open development.

Up till now， China has signed Belt and Road cooperation agreements with 80 countries and organizations， conducted institutionalized cooperation on industrial capacity with over 30 countries， and built 75 overseas economic and trade cooperation zones in 24 countries under the Belt and Road framework. Chinese businesses have invested over US$50 billion and created near-200，000 local jobs in the countries along the Belt and Road. Building on the first BRF， the Belt and Road Initiative is developing across the board and has shown strong vigor and vitality.

Second， we have been a strong advocate of economic globalization. President Xis visit to Davos in early 2017 was such a trip that has boosted global confidence and charted the way forward for economic globalization.

In his keynote speech at the World Economic Forum， President Xi pointed out that the road of human progress has never been a smooth one， but no difficulty， however daunting， can stop mankind from advancing. He stressed the importance of steadfastly building an open global economy， reminding us that those who pursue protectionism will lock themselves in a dark room deprived of light and air. President Xi also put forward Chinas proposal for boosting global growth and making globalization more balanced. He called for joint efforts to develop a model of innovation-driven growth， open and win-win cooperation， fair and equitable governance， and balanced and inclusive development.

President Xis visit to the United Nations Office at Geneva is the first such visit by Chinas top leader in the 21st century， and a major diplomatic initiative after his participation in the summits commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. It sent a clear message that China fully supports the United Nations and multilateralism. At the Palace of Nations， President Xi gave a full account of his major international initiative to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind， provided Chinas perspectives on addressing the many global challenges facing human society， and built international consensus on Chinas proposal.

Third， we have been an anchor for stable relations among major countries. The China-US relationship affects not just the wellbeing of the two countries but also that of the world. Since China and the United States reopened doors to exchanges 45 years ago， the two countries have evolved from mutual estrangement to key partners for each other， because the two sides act in the fundamental interests of the two peoples， bear in mind the big picture of bilateral relations and share the desire to move in the right direction. China and Russia are each others largest neighbors. Having stood the test of a changing international landscape， this relationship has grown increasingly resilient and stable. The China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination， thanks to efforts of both sides， has continued to move forward at a high standard. China and Europe have continued to make fresh headway in the development of the partnership for peace， growth， reform and progress of civilization. Notwithstanding the various uncertainties in Europe， Chinas Europe policy remains consistent.

Fourth， we have worked to maintain stability in our neighborhood and the sound momentum of regional cooperation. For his first overseas visit after the 19th CPC National Congress， General Secretary and President Xi Jinping chose Vietnam and Laos， two socialist neighbors sharing mountains and rivers with China， as his destinations. The visit renewed our traditional friendship， and sent a clear message to the international community， demonstrating Chinas commitment to building a community with a shared future in its neighborhood. President Xi Jinping met with President Rodrigo Duterte twice in 2017 and Premier Li Keqiang paid a successful visit to the Philippines. China-Philippines relations hold out a prospect of steady development.

China always champions regional cooperation in its neighborhood and safeguards peace and development in the region. At the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in Da Nang， President Xi Jinping， responding to the new developments and challenges in Asia-Pacific economic cooperation， reaffirmed the commitment to fostering an open economy， and called for more steps toward the building of a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific （FTAAP） and new progress in the economic integration of the Asia Pacific. At the East Asia leaders meetings in Manila， Premier Li Keqiang underscored the need to take China-ASEAN relations to a higher level with better quality and greater maturity， and called for the building of the East Asia Economic Community at a faster pace.

China has actively advanced the mechanism of Lancang-Mekong Cooperation （LMC）， a sub-regional cooperation initiative first put forward by China. We have promoted the theme of “shared river， shared future”， fostered the culture of “equality， sincerity， mutual assistance and kinship”， and advanced cooperation to the benefit of the people with a can-do spirit. Our cooperation， with its focus on efficiency and practical results， has contributed to the wellbeing of people in this region. Since the launch of this mechanism over a year ago， notable early harvest has been achieved， and the LMC Special Fund has gone into full operation. With progress made every day and results delivered every month， LMC cooperation has proven to be a mechanism with great efficiency.

Fifth， we have ushered in the second “Golden Decade” of BRICS cooperation. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the five BRICS countries， the BRICS Xiamen Summit chaired by President Xi has been a full success. At the summit， BRICS countries decided to upgrade BRICS cooperation with three pillars of economic， trade and financial cooperation， political and security cooperation， and people-to-people exchange. With the first ever Dialogue of Emerging Market and Developing Countries， the Xiamen Summit introduced a new approach to cooperation， namely BRICS+. The dialogue， which invited the leaders of five major emerging market and developing countries in the world such as Egypt and Thailand， built a new platform for South-South cooperation with a global impact.

The 19th CPC National Congress which concluded with great success has charted the course for Chinas external relations. General Secretary Xi Jinping made it clear in his report to the Congress that China will endeavor to foster a new form of international relations and build a community with a shared future for mankind， which identified the overarching goals of Chinas foreign policy in the years ahead.

To foster a new form of international relations， we need to find a new approach to developing state-to-state relations with the following core principles. First， mutual respect. Countries of different size， strength or wealth， and with diverse systems， religions and civilizations， are all equals. Second， fairness and justice. The legitimate rights and interests of all countries， in particular the developing countries， should be upheld. And third， win-win cooperation. The outdated mindset of zero-sum game or winner taking all should be replaced with a new approach of working for common development and shared benefits.

To build a community with a shared future for mankind， we need to come up with solutions to various global challenges. We need to make this world a big， harmonious family where all peoples needs for a better life can be met.

The year 2018 will go down as the year for the beginning of the implementation of the decisions taken at the 19th CPC National Congress. As socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era， we also need to gain a new outlook， make new accomplishments and take new responsibilities in the conduct of Chinas foreign policy.

First， we will expand Chinas network of global partnerships and promote a new form of international relations. In keeping with the historical trend， China has called for embracing a new approach to state-to-state relations that features dialogue rather than confrontation and partnership instead of alliance. As General Secretary Xi Jinping has explicitly pointed out， those who share the same ideals and follow the same path can be partners； those who seek common ground while shelving differences can also be partners. Guided by this inclusive and open-minded vision， China has established partnerships with over 100 countries. These countries are different from each other and our partnerships vary in formulation and format. Yet， the essence of partnerships is the same： treating each other as equals and pursuing win-win cooperation， while transcending differences in social system and development stage. Going forward， we will continue to work with other countries to expand converging interests and enhance the quality of partnerships， to create enabling conditions for and lending new impetus to our endeavor in building a new form of international relations.

Second， we will start from our neighborhood and other developing countries in building a community with a shared future for mankind. China and its neighbors， connected by mountains and rivers， share the same aspiration for peace and development. This has created natural conditions for our joint endeavors. President Xis initiative to build a community with a shared future is meant to be oriented to Chinas neighbors and other developing countries as a priority. We will make steady progress toward this goal by starting from our neighborhood and working with other developing countries.

China will deepen relations with its neighbors in line with the principle of amity， sincerity， mutual benefit， and inclusiveness and the policy of forging friendship and partnership in its neighborhood. We will deepen win-win cooperation with our neighbors and help friendly countries boost their capacity for self-development through major events in 2018， such as the 15th anniversary of China-ASEAN strategic partnership and the formulation of a China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership Vision 2030. We will ensure the success of the two international conferences to be hosted by China and participated mainly by our neighbors in 2018， namely the Boao Forum for Asia and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Qingdao summit， with a view to enhancing the regional consensus on mutual support and lending new impetus to regional cooperation. We remain committed to upholding stability in the South China Sea and promoting maritime cooperation with regional countries through the two wheels of implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea （DOC） and holding consultations on a code of conduct （COC）. China will also work with regional countries to push for an early conclusion of the negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership （RCEP） in an effort to open a new chapter in Asia-Pacific cooperation.

Third， we will comprehensively advance the Belt and Road Initiative to benefit all other participating countries through win-win cooperation. President Xi Jinping outlined the blueprint for the Belt and Road Initiative while addressing the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. We are ready with all the other parties to follow through on the 270 outcomes of the first BRF， develop the follow-up mechanisms， and ensure the success of ministerial meetings in key areas in preparation for the second forum to be held in 2019. We will work for real results in facilitating policy， infrastructure， trade， financial， and people-to-people connectivity and reach consensus with more countries for Belt and Road cooperation. We will focus on flagship projects along the key routes and at key junctions to reap early harvest to the benefit of our people. Through our work at the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor， China-Laos Economic Corridor， and China-Myanmar Economic Corridor， at the Piraeus port and Kyaukpyu port， at the China-Laos railway and China-Thailand railway in Asia and other railway projects in Africa， Europe and Latin America， we will strengthen new driving forces for and further upgrade Belt and Road cooperation.

In addition， President Xi Jinping has announced at the BRF that the first China International Import Expo will be held in Shanghai in 2018.

Fourth， we will actively explore a way of resolving hotspot issues with Chinese characteristics and play a bigger and more constructive role in upholding world stability. China is ready to take part in the peaceful settlement of hotspot issues， and actively explore a Chinese approach of constructive engagement. We will continue to advocate and practice the following three principles in the handling of hotspot issues， such as non-interference in other countries internal affairs or imposition of ones own will on others； taking an objective and impartial approach and refraining from seeking ones selfish interests； and striving for political solutions while rejecting the use of force. These principles have stood the test of time， yielded positive outcomes and received endorsement from more and more countries.