Looking back, looking forward – Understanding China's diplomacy in 2023

Editor's note: Xin Ping is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Xinhua News Agency, CGTN, Global Times, China Daily, etc. The article reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of CGTN.

In less than a month, the Chinese will celebrate the 2024 Spring Festival. The 2024 Chinese New Year is the Year of the Dragon in the 12-year cycle. The dragon, a virtual creature serving as the ancient totem of the Chinese nation, symbolizes nobility, benevolence, gumption, wisdom and good fortune. It differs a great deal from the dragons in Western culture, the appearance and symbolism of which are quite the opposite: If you are a fan of Harry Potter or Game of Thrones, you must have been scared out of your wits by the untamed, fire-breathing beasts with mighty power.

The same difference exists between the image of China depicted by some countries, especially the United States, as a "wicked and assertive monster with great diplomatic ambition," and the confident and vigorous one China endeavors to be. To gain a correct perception of China, the annual stocktaking by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi may help. It is an important channel to better understand the nature and highlights of China's diplomacy throughout the year 2023 and to find out what its real "ambition" is.

Openness and inclusiveness vs. exclusionary groupings

We all agree that the year 2023 was a volatile and turbulent one. The post-pandemic global economy remained feeble and faced multiple challenges, plunging the Global South into soaring inflation, insufficient investment, and disruptions caused by some countries' economic coercion and unfair practices. To empower the vast emerging markets and developing countries with a more open and inclusive globalization, China held its third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which brought delegates representing 151 countries and 41 international organizations to Beijing and produced 458 important outcomes and $97.2 billion worth of cooperation documents. After the pandemic-pause, Beijing once again became the hub to enhance global connectivity. The BRICS, too, was refreshed and renewed: After the latest expansion, the BRICS club of major emerging economies now represents almost half the world's population and over $30 trillion in GDP or around 29 percent of the world's total. More importantly, it offers a larger podium for the developing world to defend their interests, to voice their concerns, to carry out win-win cooperation, and to project their vision for an international order featuring justice and fairness.

Alarmed by the emerging Global South, the United States started to piece together exclusionary blocs, with the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) and the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) as the latest examples. However, such geopolitical schemes are essentially "hot air." Though promising to marshal hundreds of billions of capital to turbocharge global growth, the PGII has neither delivered any investment for participating countries nor provided any effective solutions to the heavy debts that are crippling some developing countries.

The expanding NATO and its foray into the Asia-Pacific have overstepped NATO's mandate as a security organization. While professing itself as a reliable ally "standing shoulder to shoulder with countries who share the vision for a secure world," as promised by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in his stocktaking speech last December, the U.S. is actually flexing muscles by sending bombers and destroyers halfway around the world to other countries' doorsteps. Given the typical U.S. hypocrisy of saying one thing yet doing another, the "empire of U.S. diplomacy" is crumbling before our eyes.

Fairness and justice vs. one-sided support

"Our world is plagued by a perfect storm on a number of fronts." What UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in Davos last winter could still mirror today's life. Facing the soaring hotspot issues, including the spiraling conflicts in the Middle East and the prolonged war on the European continent, China is contributing its insights and wisdom to addressing these thorny issues. It mediated the historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran by facilitating the restoration of their diplomatic ties through the unprecedented joint trilateral statement. On Gaza, it has been working in unity with Arab and Islamic countries, including as the rotating president of the Security Council for November, to galvanize support and actions on multilateral platforms through UN resolutions and humanitarian assistance. Chinese envoys were sent to work on the ground and promote peace talks, extending a helping hand to the people in Gaza at the most perilous time.

As the world was expecting the U.S. to play its role as the leading superpower to maintain global peace and stability, the No. 1 military power with the highest military expenditure lacks not the capacity to launch wars, but the capacity to make and uphold peace. With the war in Ukraine dragging on into the second year and the death toll in Gaza exceeding 23,000, the U.S., however, announced new rounds of military assistance to the battlefields, turning a blind eye to heart-wrenching civilian casualties and traumatic infliction on ordinary people's life. Soon after mourning over "the loss of life and the suffering of civilians in the battlefields" in his year-end speech, Secretary Blinken completed his fourth trip to Israel since the war began in Gaza, during which he rendered "unwavering support" to Israel and pushed the Gazans into increasingly deadly skirmishes.

Win-win cooperation vs. win-lose mindset

There is no doubt that mutual benefit and common development are the shared pursuits of all countries and naturally the principles underpinning relations between countries. The text analysis of the Chinese Foreign Minister's annual speech shows that among the most mentioned keywords, "global" appeared 38 times, "world" 30 times, "humanity" 17 times and "major country" 13 times. It speaks volumes about China's sense of responsibility in sharing development dividends with the rest of the world for joint progress.

In comparison, the U.S. diplomatic narrative is always centered on "power," "a position of strength" and "U.S. values and interests." So is its behavioral pattern. From this "position of strength," the U.S. contains its rivals, coerces straddlers and pressures its allies. Long gone is the era when Americans took pride in their diplomacy and the title of "shining city on the hill." If the U.S. still indulges in hegemony by asking the mirror on the wall "who is the greatest superpower of all," its bullying practice of instigating regional disputes, willfully waging wars and searing others under the disguise of democracy and human rights will be responded to by rising opposition from the Global South.

2023 was a year of change, and China's diplomacy in 2023 was a journey of strength, confidence and facing challenges head-on. As we say in Chinese, a just cause enjoys abundant support while an unjust one finds little support. Whenever faced with major issues concerning the future of humanity and the direction of world development, China has all along stood firmly on the right side of history and on the side of human progress. As the Year of the Dragon beckons, with all its uncertainties and possibilities unfolding before us, much is expected of China in 2024.

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