It seems that 2023 will be a year full of uncertainties as a number of crises continue to plague the world, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the negative impacts posed by a mix of inflation, food shortage and issues surrounding energy security.

Noting that today's China is a country closely linked with the world, Chinese President Xi Jinping in his 2023 New Year Address called for sharing China's wisdom and solutions for peace and development for all mankind. 

China's diplomacy has pressed the "acceleration button" and sounded the clarion call, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Tuesday at a press conference on the sidelines of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress in Beijing.

Qin told journalists from home and abroad how China will write a new chapter in its distinctive major-country diplomacy in the new era.

Stable, balanced major-country relations

"Major countries should figure out what they want with each other – building exclusive blocs or fostering friendship that is open and sincere," Qin said.

Based on no-alliance and no-confrontation, China and Russia have found a path of major-country relations featuring strategic trust and good neighborliness, setting a good example for a new type of international relations, he explained.

As for ties with another major country, the U.S., Qin stressed China will continue to follow the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation to pursue a sound and stable relationship.

He said he hopes the U.S. will explore the right way to get along with China that benefits both countries and the world. "We hope the U.S. government will listen to the calls of the two peoples, get rid of its strategic anxiety of 'threat inflation,' abandon the zero-sum cold war mentality, and refuse to be hijacked by 'political correctness.'"

China's interaction with Europe is an independent choice made by the two sides, Qin said, adding that the bilateral ties are not targeted at, subjugated to or controlled by any third party.

"We hope that Europe, with the painful Ukraine crisis in mind, will truly realize strategic autonomy and long-term peace and stability."

Qin's remarks echoed Xi's report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), in which the Chinese president said that China works to enhance coordination and positive interaction with other major countries to build major-country relations featuring peaceful coexistence, overall stability and balanced development.

Safeguarding core interests

In carrying out external work, Xi emphasized on taking national core interests as the bottom line to safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests.

The Chinese foreign minister pointed out that the Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests. "Resolving the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese people, and no other country has the right to interfere in it."

He also warned the Taiwan question is the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U.S. relations and the first red line that must not be crossed.

"The Chinese people have every right to ask: Why does the U.S. talk at length about respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity on Ukraine while disrespecting China's sovereignty and territorial integrity on the Taiwan question?"

Over 170 countries and international organizations have expressed support and recognition of the one-China principle. Governments, political parties and parliaments of more than 100 countries as well as multiple international organizations have made public statements to demonstrate their understanding and support of China's measures to uphold national sovereignty.

Chinese modernization benefits the world

Qin also talked about the "Chinese modernization," a key term used in the report to the 20th CPC National Congress. He said the process of the Chinese modernization is a boost to the force for peace, justice and progress in the world.

According to Qin, the Chinese modernization offers solutions to many challenges facing human development, with features of independence, putting people first, peaceful development, openness and inclusiveness and working hard in unity.

"Chinese modernization is not pursued through war, colonization or plundering. It is dedicated to peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, and is committed to harmony between humanity and nature," he said.

With a deep insight into the world's shared aspirations, China has proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI). More than 100 countries and many international organizations including the UN have voiced support for the GDI, and over 60 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI.

A recent CGTN poll showed 85.6 percent of respondents of 20 countries around the world highly agreed with the GSI and the figure was 90.4 percent among respondents in developing countries.

According to Qin, the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative has created some 420,000 jobs in countries along the routes and helped lift nearly 40 million people out of poverty over the past decade.

(Cover: CFP)