Editor's note: Yuan Sha, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is an associate research fellow at the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies, China Institute of International Studies. The article reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of CGTN.
This month marks the ten years' anniversary of the first Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs which was held from November 28 to 29, 2014 in Beijing, where Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed that China must pursue major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. This features the most authoritative and comprehensive expression of the current Chinese leadership's approach to diplomacy, stressing the overriding goal of peaceful development and national renewal. At this critical juncture, it is time to take stock of the ten years' effort, enrich and develop our diplomatic philosophy, and break new grounds in this endeavor.
Concrete achievements
In the first decade of the new era, China has made great efforts in carrying out the major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, and has made notable achievements.
On the one hand, China's diplomacy has achieved peaceful development, and firmly safeguarded its national sovereignty, security and development interests in the face of external containment, suppression and unwarranted interference. China has endeavored to build a pattern of major-country relationships featuring peaceful coexistence, overall stability and balanced development. China has also played an irreplaceable part in restraining different parties and preventing conflicts from flaring up in its neighborhood, making great contributions to the most-cherished "long-peace" in Asia, which strike a stark contrast with conflicts in other parts of the world.
On the other hand, China has also lived up to its commitment of a responsible major country. The biggest achievement is the continuous effort to foster a community of a shared future for mankind, which has been transformed from a Chinese initiative to an international consensus, and has been written into the resolutions of the UN General Assembly for seven consecutive years.
On that basis, China has proposed three further Global Initiatives. In the development realm, the China-proposed Global Development Initiative has won support from over 100 countries and 20 international organizations. China has also helped build the world's broadest and largest platform for international cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative, and contributed to the inter-connectivity projects in many parts of the world. In the security realm, China has proposed the Global Security Initiative, and played a constructive role in facilitating the historical reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and promoting peace talks on the Ukraine crisis and the conflict in the Middle East, which have won acclaim from around the world. In the cultural realm, China has proposed its Global Civilization Initiative, and has promoted mutual learning among civilizations, in an effort to boost understandings and foster trust among different countries.
As a staunch supporter of the UN Charter, the rule of law and international order, China has also played a more prominent role in the UN system, as well as emerging multilateral institutions such as BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the G20, in an effort to boost influence for the "Global South" countries and support global governance reform toward a more equitable and just order. All these concrete efforts have earned China due respect and acclaim from around the world.
Building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Beijing, July 13, 2014. /CFP
Future prospects
Looking ahead, the world is entering a new period of turbulence and change, with sluggish and imbalanced economic recovery, rising geopolitical uncertainties, rising protectionism and declining multilateralism; and we are witnessing a growing deficit in peace, development, global governance and trust. China's diplomacy is also confronted with multiple challenges from geopolitical containment, to economic decoupling and a smear campaign.
Against these headwinds, it is imperative to carry forward China's major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, in an effort to safeguard China's national interests and development rights and to contribute to ensuring peace and common development.
While resolutely safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial rights, and fighting against unilateralist and counter-globalization currents, China will maintain its ties with the outside world, and cultivate global partnerships around the world. China will also shoulder its responsibilities as a major country, play an increasingly important and constructive role in international affairs, by playing a more positive role in promoting peace talks on international security hotspot issues, and promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to benefit more people. China will also further advocate for the community of a shared future for mankind, delivering more public goods to the international community under the three Global initiatives, and exerting greater influence to better safeguard a just and reasonable international order.
The major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics stands to live up to the crucial test, and demonstrate to the world that adhering to the path of peaceful development is on the right side of history.
(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on Twitter to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)