The Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 3, 2023. /Xinhua
Editor's note: Noting that 2023 is the first year for implementing the guiding principles from the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the ongoing "Two Sessions" will grab the world's attention. To understand China's development blueprint, CGTN has curated the "Towards China's Modernization" series, and this is the eighth piece. Song Yuehong is deputy director and research fellow at the Institute of Contemporary China Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.
China is fostering amicable relations with its neighbors, while upholding an independent and peaceful foreign policy. Pursuing a path of peaceful development, promoting the creation of a shared future for humanity, and forging a new model for human advancement are the vital demands, inevitable choices, and distinct features of the Chinese path to modernization.
Currently, the global landscape is experiencing rapid changes unseen in a century, with the changes of the world, of our times and of history looming large. Amid this global transformation, China's diplomacy is forging ahead to defend the country's sovereignty, security and developmental interests, while promoting a new type of international relations, and participating in the reform and building of the global governance system.
Meanwhile, China stands firm against all forms of hegemonism, power politics, cold war mentality, interference in other nations' internal affairs, and double standards. With composure and confidence in the realm of competition among major countries, China has taken hard-earned strides to tackle numerous severe risks and challenges. China adheres to peaceful development, playing a constructive role.
In the current complex of an ever-changing world, China's diplomatic achievements lie in the following aspects:
China adheres to the diplomatic principles of peace, development, cooperation, and win-win outcomes, while safeguarding world peace and promoting common development, standing on the right side of history and human progress.
Based on human development trends, the changing global landscape and China's development throughout history, Beijing's diplomacy recognizes and handles its relationship with the outside world, upholding international fairness and justice, and insisting on mutual benefits and win-win outcomes instead of zero-sum games. China upholds fairness and justice and acts as a builder of world peace, contributor to global development, and defender of international order. China's development strengthens the global forces for peace.
This can be proved by the recently issued Joint Trilateral Statement by the People's Republic of China, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, which says that Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to restore diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies and missions within two months of the China-mediated talks in Beijing.
Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, presides over the closing meeting of the talks between a Saudi delegation and an Iranian delegation in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2023. /Xinhua
Besides, China pursues a holistic approach to national security and upholds independence, self-reliance and self-improvement. Through promoting international security, China ensures that both internal and external security, homeland and public security, traditional and non-traditional security, and China's own and common security. Beijing strengthens its overseas security capabilities and guards against systemic security risks, by not yielding an inch on matters of principle.
China takes a coordinated approach to safeguard and shape national security and upgrading the mechanisms for participation in global security. China is creating a new development paradigm underpinned by a new security paradigm and joins hands with other countries to address various global challenges. China stresses reliance on its efforts to drive the nation's development, and keep the fate of its development and progress firmly in its own hands.
Moreover, China promotes the common values of all humanity, including peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom. China respects the diversity of world civilizations and promotes cultural exchanges and mutual learning, and believes that cultural exchanges can transcend estrangement; mutual learning can transcend clashes; and coexistence can transcend feelings of superiority.
China advances major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, and promotes coordination and sound interaction among major countries. It also enhances friendly ties, mutual trust and converging interests with its neighboring countries.
China will increase cooperation with other developing countries to safeguard the common interests of developing countries, and provides new opportunities for the world through its own new development, pushing forward the construction of a better world.
2023 marks the beginning of building a modern socialist country and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation along Chinese path to modernization. China's diplomacy with Chinese characteristics for a new era faces new opportunities and challenges, and is destined to achieve new progress and accomplishments.
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy is a crucial component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It represents a major theoretical achievement that combines Marxist basic principles with China's distinctive diplomatic practices, while serving as an action plan for China's foreign policy in the new era.
To advance the diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era, we must adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy and use its principles, viewpoints and methods. We should stick to the peaceful development path and win-win cooperation.
It's also essential to uphold China's positions, keep in mind both domestic and international imperatives, and build a new pattern of relationship between great powers, featuring peaceful coexistence, overall stability and balanced development. We must hold fast to the Chinese culture, deepen cultural exchanges and mutual learning, and provide China's strength, propositions and wisdom for the cause of human development and progress.
It's necessary to advance Chinese studies in the new era, expedite a Chinese discourse and narrative systems, tell China's stories, spread China's voice, enhance the dissemination and influence of Chinese civilization, promote Chinese culture's global outreach, and forge a new paradigm of China's diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era.
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