Scientific Explanation of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy

Scientific Explanation of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy

By Li Wen

Researcher and Doctoral Supervisor with American Studies

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

In order to enhance the international community to learn and understand China’s development, the State Council Information Office published the White Paper on China and the World in the New Era, surrounding the new position judgments given on the present era, the new orientation pointed out for the future development of human society, and the new path planned for the current state to state relations by President Xi Jinping, comprehensively and systematically responds to major issues the world has very much concerned such as what kind of world China pushes to build, how China will work with the world as it gets more developed, …

Making position judgments on new orientation

At the Central Foreign Affairs Conference held in June 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping points out that at present, China is in the best development period since modern times, and the world is in a great change unseen in a century, which are intertwined and mutually agitated. This important judgment of the CPC General Secretary is of great theoretical value and practical significance for the correct study of the relationship between China and the world in the new era.

In recent years, General Secretary Xi Jinping in many speeches delivered on different occasions, has given the historical position of China today from three dimensions: the largest developing country, the most important socialist country, and China with 5000 years of history and civilization in the world. In the Report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly puts forward the objective of the Party and the State, i.e. when the new China celebrates the 100th anniversary of its founding, we shall build China into a prosperous, strong, democratic, harmonious and beautiful socialist modern country with advanced culture.

Great development, great change and great adjustment are the basic characteristics of the profound changes unseen in a century. China bears the responsibility of a major country and is the mainstay of the centennial transformation. In the process of completing the historic leapfrog from rich to strong, China will also guide the centennial transformation to a direction that is in line with the common interests of various countries and peoples. The group rise of emerging market economies and developing countries represented by China has fundamentally changed the balance of international strength; world socialism has gained new vitality and exuberance and entered a new historical development stage due to China's development; the rising peace-loving force built mainly by the majority of developing countries far exceeds the growth of war factors, so peace, development and cooperation and win-win results have become an irresistible trend of the times. In the future, China will continue to represent the interests of the developing countries in international affairs; will continue to focus on the people, represent the fundamental interests of the vast number of peoples of the world, and reflect their aspirations; will continue to actively strive for a peaceful international environment to develop itself, and better safeguard world peace and promote common development with its own development.

Today, according to the mega-trend of world development, a new judgment of "great changes unseen in a century" is given, which fully demonstrates the ability, confidence and determination of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core to grasp the new law, define new tasks and meet new challenges.

Clarifying a new direction

The White Paper "China and the World in the New Era" (hereinafter referred to as "the White Paper") points out, " The profoundly evolving international landscape involves complex and intertwined changes, and the interaction of old and new factors, forces, and problems. It also means greatly reshaping the relations between major countries, the international order, regional security, the trends of thought, and the global governance system. Factors of instability and uncertainty are increasing. Deficits of governance, trust, peace and development are growing. The world is facing the danger of a relapse into fragmentation and even confrontation.

Standing at an unprecedented crossroads, where is human society going? General Secretary Xi Jinping gives a clear answer: "promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind" to create a clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, opening-up and inclusiveness, so that the great changes unseen in a century will in an ideal way complete its historic mission of changing the old world into a new face.

Since modern times, there have been different opinions on the development goals of human society, and there has been no consensus. Various ideas are engraved with the brand of class, nation and country, which are opposite to each other and criticize each other. The concept of "a community with a shared future for mankind" has clarified new direction and goal for development of human society, transcends the central paradigm of nation-state and confrontational thinking, and conforms to the common aspiration of various countries and peoples.

Just as the White Paper states: " The idea of building a global community of shared future draws from the essence of traditional Chinese culture and the achievements of human society, and reflects the interdependence among all countries and the close interconnection of all humanity. The idea demonstrates the values shared by Chinese and other cultures and by all humanity, and the greatest common ground for building a better world. Building a community of shared future for mankind does not mean conformity to the same values by all countries or the implementation of unilateral proposals pushed by one country or a small minority of countries, nor does it mean the establishment of a single unitary actor around the globe, or the replacement of one system or culture by another. Rather, it calls for countries with different social systems, ideologies, histories, cultures, and levels of development to align their goals and interests, enjoy equal rights, and share all responsibilities in international activities for the progress of humanity as a whole.

General Secretary Xi Jinping's proposal to promote the construction of a community with shared future for mankind has been agreed upon and endorsed by more and more countries, and has been written into the United Nations documents several times.

Exploring new path

In order to turn construction of a community with a shared future for mankind -- the common ideal of the world peoples into a reality, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposes a new idea of promoting a new type of international relationship featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice, cooperation and win-win results, and provides China's wisdom and Chinese approach to cope with the great changes unseen in a century.

The "new" of the new type of international relations lies in the fact of saying goodbye to the long-standing and differentiate power politics and hegemonism in the history of international relations, insisting that all countries are equal, be they big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, should respect each other's political system, respect each other's right to choose their own development path, and respect each other's interests and concerns; lies in the fact of abandoning the previous single pursuit of the materialism orientation and the principle of competition first, of ensuring that countries with different resources endowments and development levels can obtain equal development rights and opportunities, narrow the development gap between each other, follow the concept of greater good and shared benefit with benefits coming second, and realize the organic unity between their own benefits and international contributions; lies in the fact of correcting the outdated practice of "winner takes all" and adhering to win-win, multi-win and common-win as the goal, taking into account the reasonable concerns of all countries in pursuit of national interests, promoting common development of all countries in pursuit of national development, regarding win-win cooperation as the greatest common denominator for different countries to handle their relations, abandoning the factors of opposition and confrontation, expanding common interests and enlarging cooperation space.

Guided by Xi Jinping's concepts to build a new type of international relations, China's major country diplomacy attaches importance to coordinately pushing forward the comprehensive development of relations with different types of countries., emphasizing the building of a framework of major power relationship with generally stable and balanced development, and deepening relations with neighboring countries in accordance with the concept of "amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness" and peripheral diplomatic principle of forging “friendship and partnership with neighbors", and uphold the concept of greater good and shared benefits and the concept of "sincerity , real results, affinity and good faith" and will deepen solidarity and cooperation with developing countries, and maximize the expansion and extension of the interests convergence between China and the world.

In view of the significance of adjustment of the relations between major powers in the course of changes unseen in a century, the major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics is committed to building a new type of relations between major countries with neither conflict nor confrontation, with mutual respect and win-win cooperation with the United States, developing a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination with Russia, developing a partnership of peace, growth, reform and civilization with Europe, and developing a partnership of solidarity and cooperation with BRICS countries.

China-U.S. relationship is a most important bilateral relations in the world. China attaches great importance to developing relations with the United States. As the White Paper points out: The China-U.S. relationship is one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world. China is the world’s largest developing country and the United States is the largest developed country. Cooperation is the only correct choice for the two countries, and a mutually beneficial relationship is the only path to a better future. The United States should treat our bilateral relations from a broad and rational perspective. China has no intention of challenging the United States, nor of replacing it; the United States is unable to force China’s hand, and even less likely to halt China’s development. The United States cannot maintain its strength by attempting to contain and suppress other countries, or by transferring its own domestic stresses outward. The United States should abandon the Cold War mentality, and develop a proper understanding of itself, China, and the world. It should adapt to the development and prosperity of other countries, and live in harmony with the rest of the world, which is the principle major countries should always follow.

As an important platform to practice the construction of a community with a shared future for humankind, over the past 6 years since the Belt and Road Initiative is proposed, China has signed relevant cooperation documents with more than 160 countries and international organizations. The policy communication has been deepened continuously, the financing has been expanding continuously, the facilities interconnection has been continuously strengthened, trade has been continuously elevated, people to people linkages are developing continuously, which has played a practical role in promoting a new type of international relations characterized by the dialogue rather confrontation, and partnership rather alignment.

(Edited excerpts of the article in China Youth Daily December 2, 2019)