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In conducting foreign affairs, we should be guided by the thought on foreign affairs of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. We must take a holistic approach to the situation both at home and abroad, focus on the goal of rejuvenating the Chinese nation and promoting the progress of humanity, and endeavour to build a global community of shared future.

We must firmly uphold China's sovereignty, national security, and development interests, actively participate in reform of the global governance system and steer its course. We should enhance our network of global partnerships, and endeavour to break new ground in pursuing major-country diplomacy with distinctive Chinese features.

We hope that with these efforts, we will be able to create a favourable external environment and contribute to the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and, ultimately a great modern socialist country.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, facing with the vicissitudes of the international situation, China has overcome difficulties to push forward major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in a groundbreaking way under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, having withstood various challenges, cracked hard nuts and made achievements of historic significance.

Through these practices, China has accumulated useful experience and came to the conclusion that conducting external work requires taking into account both domestic and international situations, maintaining strategic confidence and resolve, putting forward innovations in diplomatic theory and practice, promoting strategic planning, advancing diplomatic agenda globally, safeguarding China's core and major interests, upholding win-win cooperation and justice while pursuing shared interests, and thinking about worst-case scenarios and risks.

We have kept a firm hold of the development trend of China and the world in the new era since the 18th CPC National Congress and made a series of important innovations on external work in theories and practices, thus forming the thought on diplomacy of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era. The ten principles underlying the thought are as follows:

- Uphold the authority of the CPC Central Committee as the overarching principle and strengthen the centralized, unified leadership of the Party on external work;

- Advance major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics to fulfil the mission of realizing national rejuvenation;

- Take preserving world peace and pursuing common development as the purpose to promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity;

- Enhance strategic confidence with the socialism with Chinese characteristics as the support;

- Forge ahead the Belt and Road construction in the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration;

- Follow the path of peaceful development on the basis of mutual respect and win-win cooperation;

- Develop global partnerships while advancing diplomatic agenda;

- Lead the reform of the global governance system with the concept of fairness and justice;

- Take national core interests as the bottom line to safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests;

- Nurture a distinctive style of Chinese diplomacy by combining the fine tradition of external work and the characteristics of times.

We should thoroughly implement the thought on diplomacy of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, continuously facilitate a favourable external environment for realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

(Source: Extract from Xi Jinping's speech on The Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs, June 22, 2018.)