With a Shared Stake in the International Environment, Win-Win Cooperation is the Right Path -- International Situation in 2024 and China’s Diplomacy

The international situation remained tense and turbulent in 2024， with the constantly unfolding spillover of crises， escalating conflicts and widening rifts， especially with the hard-to-ease Ukraine crisis and the humanitarian crisis worsened by the turmoil in the Middle East. Humanity is suffering bitterly from the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic， geopolitical conflicts， adjustments in major-country relations， abrupt changes in the environment and climate， the prevalence of protectionism and disruptions in industrial and supply chains. Many countries are thus trapped in mounting anxiety over disorientation of development and the future. The North-South divide continues to widen， with over 100 million people displaced and nearly 800 million suffering from hunger. It remains an arduous task to achieve the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Changing International Landscape -- Complex and Volatile International Situation

In his remarks at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 24th， 2024， UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that “we are in an era of epic transformation， facing challenges unlike any we have ever seen ... we are edging towards the unimaginable， a powder keg that risks engulfing the world”. His concerns reflect the considerable complexity and uncertainty of the current international situation.

I. The Storm Is Coming -- International Transformation Presents Multiple Crises

If the 1990s were the early stage of international transformation and the early 21st century was a period of further accumulation and brewing， then after entering the 2020s， the international transformation has entered a new stage featuring increasingly sharp contradictions， frequent conflicts and lingering tension in major-country relations.

Humanity has not completely walked out of the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic， but is rather experiencing multiple crises that are rare to see. Global industrial and supply chains are disrupted; commodity prices continue to rise; risks of energy and food security are intertwined and the cybersecurity situation is increasingly complex， together with such rising global challenges as climate change， terrorism， cybersecurity， and biosecurity. Countries around the world are directing more attention to technological sovereignty， which can be particularly seen in the regulation of cross-border data flows， restrictions on technology exports and management of dependence on foreign technologies. International technological rules and standards may become new points of contradiction. Information warfare and cyber-attacks become new focuses of national security governance. Important resources like water， minerals and arable land are in such short supply that they may exacerbate conflicts and immigration issues in some regions. The world still faces the arduous task of poverty reduction and the fight against hunger.

II. The East Is Rising and the West Is Declining -- Global Development Is Experiencing the Dual Trend of Decline and Division

The distribution of global power continues to evolve along the trajectory of the rising East and the declining West and the East-West gap is thus significantly narrowed. Emerging powers are rising substantially， with the expansion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization （SCO）， the BRICS’ addition and the collective rise of the Global South. Countries such as India and Brazil are witnessing rapid growth in their economic output. In terms of GDP， India overtook the United Kingdom to become the fifth biggest economy in 2024 and may further surpass Japan to become the fourth in 2025. Brazil may also exceed Canada in the same year. Developing countries have forged a stronger sense of coordination and solidarity. It is the common aspiration of the international community， especially the Global South， to seek solidarity and cooperation， rather than division and confrontation.

Major economies are growing on divergent paths and the world economy remains sluggish. Currently， the Group of Seven （G7） countries account for around one fourth of the global economic output and trade and one tenth of the world’s population. The US Council on Foreign Relations stated that the Group of Twenty （G20） has outperformed the G7 in terms of strength and prestige. With the twin impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis， European economy will hardly pick up in the next three to five years.

On the contrary， the strength of developing countries is growing steadily. According to the latest World Economic Outlook released by the International Monetary Fund （IMF）， global economic growth is projected at 3.2 percent in 2024， lower than 3.3 percent in 2023， with developed countries growing by 1.8 percent and developing countries by 4.2 percent. The gap in growth rates between developed economies and emerging markets and developing economies is projected to be 2.4 percent in both 2024 and 2025. No drastic change is expected in the traditional low-end manufacturing industry， but the development of such high-end manufacturing industries as chips and military weapons will be divergent. The global supply chains will move towards more exclusionary “de-globalization” and the “re-globalization” that depends on picking sides and geopolitics will impose sustained impacts on the world trade and economic system in the coming years. It is worth noting that as regional economic cooperation is strengthened in the Asia Pacific， Europe and Latin America and the African Continental Free Trade Area （AfCFTA） is constructed at an accelerating pace， the world is seeing the forming of different regional economic circles.

III. Ever Fiercer Competition -- Major-Power Rivalry Together with the Trend of Building Blocs

The major-country geopolitical rivalry and ideological competition remain at a high intensity and the trend toward division and bloc formation is accelerating. In Northeast Asia， as the US， Japan， and South Korea strengthen their alliance， Russia and North Korea signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement， which exacerbates tensions on the Korean Peninsula and pushes forward the trend of “bloc confrontation” in the Asia Pacific region. In January 2025， Russia and Iran signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty to strengthen bilateral relations. Russia， North Korea and Iran thus form a new “anti-West Alliance”. In the meantime， the US， Japan and South Korea repeatedly declared their “concerns” over the Taiwan question and the South China Sea issues and uplifted their military exercises to real-combat drills， promoting the military expansion of Japan and South Korea and upsetting the regional military balance. The US now has the intention to achieve “nuclear sharing” with both South Korea and Japan. If that becomes reality， it will severely undermine the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and further increase the risk of nuclear proliferation.

US’ heavier containment pressure on China has become one of the critical factors affecting other major-country relations， hotspot issues and the international situation. After Donald Trump returned to the White House， getting tough on China will be the underlying feature. He might escalate trade friction with China through levying hefty tariffs coupled with sanctions in other sectors. The US-Russia relations remain tense. The US will impose heavier sanctions on Russia and the two countries might almost fully cut off their economic ties. The US will vigorously push Europe to reduce its dependence on Russian energy and instead look to itself， Canada and the Middle East as new sources of energy. With Trump’s return， the Ukraine crisis might see a temporary turning point and the US-Russia relations might be eased. However， in view of the domestic politics of the US， the normalization of the US-Russia relations is hardly in prospect for the short term.

IV. Ripple Effect -- Closer Interconnection of International Hotspots Issues

Hotspot issues are interconnected， with all being bounded together for hot or cold. The Ukraine crisis presents the features of a seesaw battle， a protracted war and a war of attrition. As the warfare escalates in intensity， the battlefield has witnessed multiple conversion of offense and defense. With eastern Ukraine as its main battlefield， Russia occasionally expanded its targets to the entire Ukrainian territory， forcing the Ukrainian troops to retreat westward. The Ukrainian troops， with the support of the US and NATO， deployed drones to attack Russian bases， warehouses and infrastructure， launched surprise attacks on the rear and opened a second battlefield in the Kursk Oblast of Russia. There is a huge gap in the Russia and Ukraine’s positions on the prospect of negotiating a ceasefire and an end to the war. As the US beefs up efforts with its allies to back Ukraine and Russia seeks stronger deterrence measures， the danger of direct confrontation between Russia and NATO is more impending and the risk of a global “nuclear war” is rising. Trump’s re-election as the US President has become a crucial variable affecting the Ukraine crisis.

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is dragging on， with spillover effects across the Middle East. Israel launched extreme strikes against Hamas， severely damaged its combat capabilities and killed its key leaders， triggering a serious humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Since the outbreak of the latest Palestinian-Israeli conflict on October 7th， 2023， over 45，000 Palestinians have died and over 100，000 have been injured. Israel also launched fierce airstrikes and limited ground attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon， killing Hezbollah’s top leader Hassan Nasrallah and several other high-ranking figures. In November 2024， Israel reached a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in Lebanon， but the future is still not all optimistic. Israel also repeatedly attacked key targets in Iran， exerted sustained pressure on Iran， and crossed the border to strike targets in Syria. At the end of 2024， the armed opposition in Syria overthrew the Assad regime in a short period of time. Regional conflicts with the power to trigger changes in the geopolitical landscape might become a critical factor affecting the future of the international situation.

The Asia Pacific is experiencing a more complex security situation as a result of major-country rivalry. The US-dominated military and political alliance that targets China has been reinforced. The deployment of the US Typhon mid-range missile system severely undermines the security and stability in the South China Sea and East Asia. By forcing China’s neighbors to “pick sides”， the US has intensified competition and confrontation in the region. It also takes moves frequently to challenge China’s maritime rights and territorial sovereignty on the South China Sea issue and the Taiwan question. Under the pretext of “strategic ambiguity”， the US has strained every nerve to stand in the way of China’s national reunification by constantly sending military aid and support to Taiwan.

V. Scapegoating Others for Domestic Ailments -- Accelerating Changes of Domestic and Foreign Policies of Countries in the Year of Elections

In 2024， the super election year， over 70 countries had important election agendas that involved half of the world’s population. The election results profoundly influenced the domestic politics of the countries and injected more uncertainty into the international political landscape. With the intensifying anti-globalization trend and geopolitical competition， we see closer interaction between the domestic and foreign policies. Many countries are adjusting their foreign policies to serve domestic politics， showing a clear tendency towards “scapegoating other countries for their own ailments”.

In South Asia， as the National Democratic Alliance （NDA） led by the Bharatiya Janata Party （BJP） won the general election， Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was re-elected for his third term. The election further cements Modi’s political position and indicates that India will continue to advance its “India First” domestic reforms and foreign policies. In East Asia， Japan’s political landscape changed rapidly as Shigeru Ishiba became the Prime Minister. He dissolved the lower house just eight days after he took office on October 1st， setting a record for the fastest dissolution after World War II. On November 11th， as the President of the Liberal Democratic Party， he was re-elected as the Prime Minister in the runoff vote. In the foreseeable future， the political situation in Japan may continue to fluctuate amidst instability. In South Korea， as the opposition won a landslide victory in the country’s parliamentary election on April 10th， 2024， the pattern of “small ruling party and big opposition” was sustained. On December 3rd， South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol unexpectedly declared the “emergency martial law”， triggering chaos in the government， the opposition and society; On December 14th， South Korea’s National Assembly passed the second impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol， with 204 votes in favor. The political situation in South Korea will continue to change and its “diplomatic imbalance” will remain a thorny situation.

In the Russian presidential election， which became the focus of global attention， Vladimir Putin won with 87 percent of the vote， setting a record for the highest vote in a Russia’s presidential elections since the collapse of the Soviet Union. In Europe， the European Parliament election showed that the center-right European People’s Party （EPP） remained the largest party group， securing more seats， but the right-wing populist groups also made substantial gains. As the European politics is further shifting to the right， we observe a clearer trend of polarization and fragmentation within the European Parliament. Such a shift indicates a restructuring of political ecology within Europe and might also further exacerbate EU members’ differences in policies， particularly on such issues as immigration， economy and climate change. Across the Atlantic， Donald Trump， the Republican nominee and former president， defeated the Democratic nominee Kamala Harris to become the 47th US President in the US presidential election of 2024. The election result marks another turning point in US politics， indicating escalated US suppression on China in areas including economy， technology and military. Whether it is Modi’s re-election in India， Japan’s political restructuring， or the rise of the right-wing parties in Europe and the political “rolling-back” in the US， all indicate that it is becoming a new normal to interweave domestic and foreign policies.

Assessing and Grasping the Situation -- China’s Diplomacy Opens up New Space and Takes New Actions

Faced with the international situation fraught with transformation， instability and grave challenges， under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core， China’s diplomacy has forged ahead with boldness and responsibility， contributing Chinese wisdom， solutions and strength to world peace， security and economic recovery. Boosted by China’s major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics， the building of a community with a shared future for mankind has been deepened and advanced.

I. Responsibility and Leadership -- a Remarkable Chapter Has Been Written in Head-of-State Diplomacy

In 2024， Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the Conference Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence， the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum and the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation， which are the three major diplomatic events hosted by China. He made four important visits to Europe， Central Asia， the BRICS countries and Latin America， and attended a host of multilateral summits. With his global vision， broad-mindedness and global compassion as the leader of a large party and a major country， President Xi Jinping has engaged in profound strategic communication with foreign leaders and political dignitaries to expand the areas where interests converge and advocate for stronger solidarity and cooperation of the international community.

Two major summits contribute to global governance. In November 2024， the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation （APEC） Economic Leaders’ Meeting and the G20 Summit were held successively in Peru and Rio de Janeiro. President Xi Jinping stressed that APEC has been instrumental in leading Asia and the Pacific to great success in development， prosperity and connectivity， making the region the most dynamic economy and the primary engine of global economic growth. He further put forth three proposals. The G20 Summit focused on social inclusiveness and the fight against hunger， energy transformation and sustainable development as well as reform of global governance institutions. In his speech at the G20 Summit， President Xi Jinping emphasized that “the G20 needs to build on its past achievements and continue to act as a force to improve global governance and move history forward，” and further outlined China’s eight actions for global development to address common challenges through common development. President Xi Jinping comprehensively expounded on China’s position on advancing global common development and ignited the “Latin American moment” of global governance with Chinese wisdom. The G20 Rio de Janeiro Leaders’ Declaration charted the direction of the G20’s future.

II. Promoting Talks for Peace -- Working for the Turnaround of Regional Hotspot Issues

In 2024， the international community made multiple efforts for the political resolution of the Ukraine crisis， where China， Brazil and other members of the Global South played a critical role. In May， China and Brazil jointly issued a six-point common understanding on political settlement of the Ukraine crisis and stressed the three principles for deescalating the situation， namely no expansion of the battlefield， no escalation of fighting and no provocation by any party. During the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly， China， Brazil and other like-minded Global South countries set up a “Friends of Peace” platform on the Ukraine crisis， which upholds the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and prepares conditions for a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis by gathering international consensus.

In terms of the latest Palestinian-Israeli conflict， China firmly supports the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights and always supports Palestine’s internal reconciliation. In April 2024， China invited Palestinian factions to meet and negotiate in Beijing， supported reconciliation and solidarity through dialogue and negotiation， and ultimately promoted the signing of the Beijing Declaration. During his meeting with the press after holding talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on May 6th， President Xi Jinping made clear China’s principled position on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict， calling for a ceasefire and the implementation of the Two-State solution to preserve sustained peace in the Middle East. China has shown with concrete actions its constant efforts devoted to promoting world peace and stability and demonstrated its commitment as a responsible major country in international affairs.

III. Fight Against Poverty -- Chinese Solution Is Yielding Fruits

In 2024， China joined the “Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty”， once again demonstrating its firm support for global poverty reduction through its concrete actions. From “solving the problem of food and clothing” to “becoming moderately prosperous”， China’s miracle of poverty alleviation shows that poverty is not invincible and that developing countries can embark on their own path of poverty reduction. This achievement represents not only a domestic project that benefits billions of people， but also a considerable contribution to global development， vividly interpreting the vision of “a community with a shared future for mankind”. Within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative， China assists African countries in building railways， roads， power stations and other infrastructure to boost regional economic development. The export of green energy technologies has also become an important part of China's poverty reduction practice. Through the construction of photovoltaic power plants， China helps address energy shortages in African countries and also creates millions of local jobs. While solving the impending challenges， such poverty-reduction through empowerment also cements the foundation for long-term development.

Through South-South cooperation and engagement in international poverty reduction programs， China is transforming its own poverty reduction experience into a development scheme for all to share. From the promotion of hybrid rice technology to the infrastructure construction in BRI partners， China has helped improve the well-being of millions of poor people in poverty outside China. As of September 2024， China had established 24 agricultural technology demonstration centers in Africa and popularized over 300 advanced and applicable agricultural technologies， improving local crop yields by 30 to 60 percent. Also through its cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations （FAO）， China has provided agricultural technology assistance to many countries， significantly enhancing their food production capacity; The FAO also plans to share China’s experience in innovative poverty reduction projects such as the “United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Demonstration Village” with other developing countries through South-South and trilateral cooperation.

IV. BRICS Enlargement -- the Collective Rise of Emerging Market Economies and Developing Countries

The 16th BRICS Summit was held in Kazan， Russia from October 22nd to 24th， 2024， marking the first summit after the enlargement of the BRICS in January 2024. This summit was themed on “Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security” and adopted the Kazan Declaration， which explicitly supported a comprehensive reform of the United Nations， including its Security Council， as well as reaffirmed the support for the Two-State solution and the State of Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations. The summit also decided to invite 13 new BRICS partner countries. This round of enlargement made the BRICS more open and representative， which could further leverage on its role as a banner of South-South cooperation and a powerful driving force for the transformation of international order. The BRICS reached new consensus on cooperation in frontier sectors such as finance， artificial intelligence， energy and minerals and worked for landmark achievements to ensure “a good start” of the “greater BRICS cooperation”. The summit stressed the importance of enhancing coordination on strategic and overarching issues critical to the direction of the BRICS development. With stronger will for cooperation through consensus building， the BRICS will inject new impetus into scoring greater achievement of the Global South.

As an active promoter of the BRICS cooperation， China has played a crucial role in the Kazan Summit and the development of the BRICS mechanism. Since 2013， President Xi Jinping has presided over or attended the BRICS summits where he elaborated on China’s propositions and plans at key junctures of the construction， development and expansion of the BRICS cooperation mechanism， guiding and steering the BRICS cooperation towards steady and sustained growth. The “greater BRICS cooperation” injects new momentum into the reform of international financial governance， provides easier financing for emerging market economies， contributes to international trade， investment and development， and facilitates pragmatic cooperation in such fields as food security， industrial development， green energy and infrastructure construction. These achievements highlight the pre-eminent position of BRICS in promoting the reform of international order and steering the global governance. The BRICS stand ready to contribute more balance and vitality to global governance.

V. The Strength of the SCO -- a New Pillar of Stability on the Eurasian Continent

On July 4th， 2024， the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO was held in Astana， Kazakhstan. This summit focused on the prospects of comprehensive multilateral cooperation， covering areas such as politics， security， trade， investment， energy， environmental protection， tourism and international cooperation， and adopted 25 outcome documents including the Astana Declaration. The SCO has expanded to 10 full members， becoming a family of 26 countries from three continents with a more solid foundation for cooperation. With the joining of Belarus as the 10th member state， the SCO has entered a new historic stage of development. President Xi Jinping pointed out at the summit that the SCO region is facing the triple risks of the Cold War mentality， “small yard with high fences，” and external interference and attempts to divide our region. He went on to provide three recommendations to address each of the risks， namely to hold the bottom line of security， safeguard the right to development and cement solidarity. He called on all parties to uphold the Shanghai Spirit and work together to keep the SCO on the right course forward. Against the backdrop of the dragging-on Ukraine crisis， lackluster global economic recovery， and widening wealth gap in the post-COVID-19 era， the SCO summit was regionally significant and helped address governance deficits.

This Meeting of the Council of Heads of State injected momentum into the third decade of the SCO. The meeting also demonstrated the member states’ commitment to open regionalism， coordination of national interests and regional stability and development， as well as vision of integrating regional peace and global governance. Against the backdrop of the Ukraine crisis， the SCO nurtured new opportunities and hopes， receiving more reliance and demand from member states and gaining strong momentum for the SCO’s participation in global governance and promoting regional cooperation. After three rounds of enlargement， the SCO presents itself as a successful practitioner of true multilateralism and expanding common interests. As a driver for the revival of the order within the Eurasian continent， the SCO plays an important role in promoting regional peace， advancing global development and implementing China-proposed “Three Major Global Initiatives”. The organization is also an important contributor to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

VI. Pooling Strength -- a Harvest Year for Global South Cooperation

2024 is a year of fruitful achievements for the Global South， especially since autumn. In September， the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation （FOCAC） was successfully held in China; In October， the BRICS held its first summit in Kazan， Russia， after its enlargement; In November， the APEC Leaders’ Meeting and the G20 Summit were successively held in Peru and Brazil. These events highlight the “Global South Moment” of global governance.

The 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum held in Beijing in May， 2024， adopted multiple documents， including the Beijing Declaration and the Execution Plan. The two sides hailed the “eight major cooperation initiatives” proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the implementation of the Outline of the Comprehensive Cooperation Plan Between the People’s Republic of China and Arab States adopted at the First China-Arab States Summit， and highly appreciated China’s signing of Belt and Road cooperation documents with all 22 Arab states and the Arab League. The FOCAC Summit in September 2024 was the largest diplomatic event hosted by China in recent years with the participation of the biggest number of foreign leaders. This forum has achieved many substantial results， including the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and the Action Plan.

The Global South has become a critical and constructive force in the evolution of the international order. During the commemorative events marking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence held in Beijing in June， 2024， Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the Global South to be a staunch force for peace， a core driving force for open development， a builder of global governance and the advocates for exchange among civilizations. The call targets the most crucial and urgent problems facing humanity in today’s world and proposes solutions offered by the Global South to address the deficits in peace， development， security and governance， drawing a blueprint for the Global South to forge ahead in solidarity towards the right direction.

VII. Opening Wider to the World -- Enlarging Circle of Friends in a Visa-Free Era

China has ushered in a visa-free era with more and more countries， with visa-free policy creating a larger circle of friends. As of the end of 2024， China had signed mutual visa exemption agreements with 157 countries， covering different types of passports. China successively implemented unilateral visa-free policies for 29 countries including France and Germany， and enjoyed comprehensive mutual visa exemption with 25 countries， including Thailand， Singapore， the Maldives and the UAE. In addition， over 60 countries and regions offer visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to Chinese citizens. China decided to further upgrade its visa-free policy. Visa waiver would be granted to travelers for exchange purposes and the maximum length of stay would be extended to 30 days. Improving visa policies and facilitating cross-border travel is an important measure， through which the diplomatic service contributes to China’s high-quality development and high-level opening-up. As the “visa-free era” and “China Travel” go viral across the globe， we will witness the positive outcomes of friendly exchanges and mutually-beneficial cooperation between China and the rest of the world.

China has taken the initiative to align with high-standard international trade rules， launched the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific， firmly advanced trade and investment liberalization and facilitation， constantly providing new momentum for global economic growth. China will further expand institutional opening-up， actively align with international high-standard trade rules， upgrade pilot free trade zones， and sign high-standard free trade agreements and investment agreements with more countries. China is also ready to further open up its mega-sized market， including taking unilateral opening-up measures， to share its development opportunities with all countries， and make the big market of China a great opportunity for the world.

Conclusion

Humanity is experiencing unprecedented turbulence in today’s world， while the hope of easing the tensions is flickering from time to time. With escalated regional security confrontation， tensions are to become a long-term trend and major-country rivalry is more complex. Some countries attempt to go against the trend of the times， backpedal and reverse history. Obsessed with the cold-war mentality， power politics and zero-sum game， they gang up to form “exclusive groupings” and push for “decoupling and severing of supply chains”. As they further push the world to the edge of turmoil and division， the recovery of world economy is more lackluster and more people are trapped in the trough of hunger and poverty. Emerging powers represented by China remain firmly committed to the international order with the United Nations at its core and true multilateralism， advance implementation of the “three major global initiatives” and the Belt and Road Initiative that delivers universal benefits， promote the reform and adjustment of the global governance system and pool the forces for peace. In sharp contrast， the right and wrong are distinguishable to the international community.

In review of history， the chaos brought about by uncertainties are precisely the conditions in preparation for innovation and expansion. We could foster new opportunities amidst crises and abolish the old before establishing the new. Human exploration of development path has never stopped and the exclusionary protectionism and unilateralism against the trend of the times are doomed to fail. The world needs justice rather than bullying and should embrace win-win rather than lose-lose outcomes. Anchored to the United Nations as the core， we need to uphold the pillar of international rule of law. The major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics has an important historical mission to foster a peaceful and stable international environment for its modernization drive， uphold core national interests， better serve high-level opening-up， engage all parties in the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and push forward deeper reform of global governance. As the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind has taken deep roots among people around the world， efforts towards this goal are reaping new outcomes. The historical trend is unstoppable. Facts have proved that closed doors cannot outcompete open doors and that “small blocs” cannot defeat big cooperation. With a shared stake in this planet， win-win cooperation is the viable and right path to go.

Wang Fan is the President of the China Foreign Affairs University