High-level visits underscore China's global engagement

Editor's note: Ding Duo, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a non-resident research fellow of the Institute for China-America Studies (ICAS) and the director of the Research Center for International and Regional Issues at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

In April, China once again became the world's living room, hosting a steady stream of high-level visitors from across continents. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez concluded his fourth trip in as many years, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held talks on regional and bilateral matters, Vietnam's top leader To Lam paid a state visit, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov coordinated positions on pressing global issues, and Mozambique President Daniel Francisco Chapo arrives on April 16 for his first visit since taking office.

These trips by leaders from Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Eurasia, and Africa underscore the broad appeal of China's diplomacy at a time when many nations are actively seeking dependable partners amid shifting global alliances and economic pressures. This concentrated diplomatic activity is not random scheduling. It reflects a widening circle of countries placing their confidence in China as a partner for practical cooperation and a source of stability amid increasingly fragile global conditions.

The visits produced tangible results. Sanchez's discussions yielded a series of bilateral agreements spanning trade, agriculture, technology, and innovation, alongside a new mechanism for strategic dialogue to address economic ties and broader EU-China relations. With the UAE, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward a four-point proposal on promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, stressing peaceful coexistence, respect for sovereignty, adherence to international law, and balanced attention to development and security.

To Lam's engagements reinforced the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Vietnam, with agreements on infrastructure connectivity, energy cooperation, and party-to-party exchanges that aim to manage differences while expanding shared opportunities. Lavrov's meetings underscored readiness for expanded energy supplies to China and closer alignment on international flashpoints, including the situations in Ukraine and the Middle East, with both sides affirming the value of stable bilateral ties amid turbulence. Chapo's ongoing trip is expected to deepen the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership with Mozambique, focusing on development projects and mutual economic gains.

Such concrete steps not only boost trade flows and investment but also lay the foundations for longer-term collaboration in areas such as green energy and digital infrastructure, helping partners weather global economic headwinds together. These outcomes – practical deals, joint statements, and forward-looking proposals – illustrate how dialogue translates into measurable cooperation.

What makes this moment noteworthy is the broader context. In a world where instability and uncertainty seem to multiply daily, China functions as a source of stability and predictability. This is not the product of short-term policy shifts. It grows from a consistent diplomatic strategy, from the long-held Eastern principle of not doing to others what one would not wish done to oneself, and from the composure that comes with being a responsible major power. Over time, this steady approach has built trust across regions precisely because it favors mutual gains rather than competition that leaves losers behind.

China's stance draws on hard-won historical insight. Having experienced the damage caused by militarism, hegemonism, power politics, and unilateralism, Beijing understands their dangers firsthand. Its support for an international order grounded in international law, centered on the United Nations, and rooted in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter is, therefore, no slogan. It shows up in everyday practice: participation in multilateral forums, contributions to peacekeeping and development initiatives, and consistent advocacy for resolving disputes through negotiation rather than coercion. Examples include China's active role in Belt and Road projects that prioritize infrastructure without political conditions attached.

To read China's foreign policy accurately, three dimensions must be viewed together, like the faces of a prism. One is the country's open, inclusive, and peaceful outlook as a major power. Another is its firm commitment to safeguarding its own sovereignty, security, and development interests. The third is its steady effort to defend international fairness and justice. Omit any of these, and the picture distorts. Together, they explain why Beijing engages broadly while refusing to compromise core principles, and why it promotes cooperation even as it protects its legitimate rights.

China keeps its doors open to those ready to share in the benefits of its growth. Based on mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit, it invites partners to pursue common prosperity. Whether national leaders or ordinary citizens, more visits to China – seeing its cities, talking with its people, and observing its development up close – tend to produce a clearer understanding of the country and the possibilities for bilateral ties. Firsthand experience often dissolves abstract suspicions, revealing a nation focused on high-quality progress that can lift economies on both sides.

Exchanges like these also serve a deeper purpose: They reduce misunderstandings and build trust. When set against the record of certain major powers that have recently provoked tensions, abandoned agreements, or resorted to force, China's pattern of restraint – no starting conflicts, no withdrawing from groups, no launching wars – makes continued references to a "China threat" sound increasingly ironic. It stands in sharp contrast to actions elsewhere that have disrupted global supply chains or heightened divisions. The narrative still circulates in some quarters, yet as outsiders spend more time in China and observe its actions more closely, that line of argument is likely to lose ground and eventually join the scrap heap of history.

As these high-profile visits continue to draw international attention, they highlight China's capacity to act as a bridge-builder rather than a source of disruption. In an era of growing fragmentation, Beijing's consistent emphasis on dialogue and shared prosperity points to a practical path forward for regional calm and global growth. More countries are recognizing the value of this steady engagement, choosing to walk through an open door rather than turn away.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on X, formerly Twitter, to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)