Having Full Understanding of the Times, Complying with the Trend, Standing Fast and Making Innovations: on China’s Diplomacy in Four Decades of Reform and Opening-up
ON CHINA’S DIPLOMACY IN FOUR DECADES OF REFORM AND OPENING-UP
The year 1978 was destined to be an extraordinary year in contemporary Chinese history, which witnessed the convening of the 3rd Plenary Session of the 11th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the adoption of reform and opening up policy and setting of new journey of China’s diplomacy. In the past four decades, faced with increasing instability and uncertainty in world situation as well as urgent demand of domestic development, China has scored outstanding historical achievements in its foreign affairs by overcoming tremendous difficulties and withstanding severe ordeal based on full understanding of the times, complying with the trend,
standing fast and making innovations.
To Gain Full Understanding of the Times
President Xi Jinping points out: “It’s an extremely important and always new task to gain full understanding of the world development trend and follow the waves of the time. China must adapt itself to the world development trend for its own development.” It is the basic prerequisite for formulating China’s foreign strategies and policies to have a correct understanding of the theme, nature and characteristics of the time.
The CPC’s overall understandings of the theme of the time and world situation before the mid 1970s was that world was in an era of imperialism and proletarian revolution; and there was always a risk of world war, sometimes even imminent. These understandings constituted the ideological foundation for China’s foreign strategies and policies in the three decades after the founding of the PRC. However, since late 1970s, based on his sharp observation of transformation of times and especially his acute understanding of the new features and trends, Deng Xiaoping started to readjust his overall judgment of world situation. At an enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission in June 1985, Deng clearly noted that our understanding of the international situation
changed, so did our understanding of war and peace. He made a conclusion that there was possibility of averting massive wars and maintaining world peace for a long period of time. As a result, Deng defined peace and development as two major themes of the time, which served as an important basis for China’s concerted efforts in modernization drive as well as a solid foundation for China’s readjustment of its foreign policies. The CPC has always stuck to Deng’s judgment of the themes of the time in nearly 30 years since then.
Since the 18th National Congress, in spite of a clear comprehension that the world is in an era of major development as well as profound transformation and change and it is faced with prominent instability and uncertainty, the CPC has been firm in its conviction that peace and development remain the underlying trend of our times. As President Xi points out, peace and development are the call of the times, and the international community should take our historical responsibility and respond to the call of our times with solidarity, vision, courage and a sense of mission. In view of making new and greater contribution to human society, China is ready to work hand-in-hand with its international partners on Belt and Road Initiative, get actively involved in global governance by staying committed to the vision of consultation, cooperation and benefit for all, and will remain committed to opening-up.
Complying with the Trend
The “trend” refers to the world pattern as well as the interaction between China and the rest of the world. According to Chinese ancient philosophers, one can grasp the overall situation only by complying with the trend based on observing the times and judging the occasion. It’s been through complying with the general trend of international situations that China has continuously
scored new achievements in its diplomacy since the beginning of reform and opening-up.
Firstly, China has gained correct understanding of the status and development trend of world pattern. During the later period of bi-polar structure from 1978 to 1991, under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, China readjusted its relations with Japan, the US as well as former Soviet Union. It carefully handled disputes with its neighboring countries and actively participated in multilateral diplomacy by earnestly advocating building new international order based on five principles of peaceful coexistence. All those have thereafter opened an unprecedented new sphere for China’s diplomacy. With the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the bipolar structure came to an end. The monopoly United States suffered constant decline of strength. Meanwhile, a large number of emerging markets and developing countries stepped onto the fast track for development and quite a few development centers took their shapes in different parts of the world. A multi-polarity trend was speeding up. Calmly meeting with the tremendous international pressure brought about by the Soviet Union’s disintegration and the drastic changes in Eastern Europe, China worked towards the construction of new-type international relations by stabilizing and developing its relationship with major western countries, stressing the development of relations with neighboring countries and continuously consolidating its relations with vast number of developing countries.
Secondly, China has been closely following and achieved in-depth understanding of the status and trend of development of its relationship with the rest of the world. Since reform and opening-up, in particular in the 21st century, significant and deep-going changes have taken place in this relationship, embodied by China’s approaching to the center of the international system. In this process, China has eventually identified itself as “the most populous developing country in the world”, “a responsible major country in international community”, “a practitioner of peaceful development, a promoter of common prosperity, an upholder of multilateral trade system, a participant in global economic governance” as well as “a builder of world peace, a contributor of global development and a protector of national order”.
Despite of the difficulties faced by China such as lack of power in international discourse and rulemaking and increasing contradictions between the expanding of China’s global interests and the external world, the interaction between China and the rest of the world shows a favorable state in general. Both sides are increasingly interdependent on and interactive with each other. China’s development is more and more dependent on the rest of the world, and visa versa.
Standing Fast
We have always been adhering to socialism with Chinese characteristics. Adhering and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics has been the CPC’s sole theme for all theories and practices in the past four decades of reform and opening-up. It has also served also the fundamental institutional guarantee for China’s contemporary development and progress. China must stick to socialism with Chinese characteristics in its diplomacy as a fundamental principle as well as the biggest advantage and feature. Enhancing strategic confidence to build socialism with Chinese characteristics, China’s diplomacy has got its root and soul as well as motives for advancement and basic guarantee for success.
We have always been sticking to the CPC’s leadership over diplomatic work. The most substantial feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the CPC, and the biggest advantage of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the leadership of the CPC as well. “Party, government, military and civil studies, in the east, west, north and south, the Party leads everything.” Sticking to the leadership of the CPC is the biggest political principle in contemporary China as well as the basic guarantee for dealing with the sophisticated world situation and conducting China’s external work. The CPC’s leadership in China’s diplomacy is mainly reflected in two major aspects, namely ideological and organizational. Ideological leadership refers to the setting up of guidelines, basic principles and overall structure of diplomacy based on a clear-cut judgment of world situation. Organizational leadership refers to the construction of institutions and mechanisms for external work by setting up relevant institutions to coordinate activities of foreign-related departments. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the basic principle of that “the power to make diplomatic decisions must rest with the central Party leadership” has been further emphasized. China upholds the authority of the CPC Central Committee to strengthen centralized and unified Party leadership over external work. Enhanced coordination among different actors is required to form “a general framework of cooperation in place in which the CPC exercises overall leadership and ensures coordination among all the parties involved in conducting external work and that the foreign policy and strategic decisions formulated by the central Party leadership are implemented in both letter and spirit”.
We have always been creating enabling conditions for the modernization of China. At the beginning of the 1980s, Deng Xiaoping clearly identified opposing hegemonism, safeguarding world peace and creating enabling conditions for China’s modernization as the basic missions of China’s diplomacy. China’s diplomacy has always worked around these missions over the past 40 years. Xi Jinping repeatedly stresses that China will continue to hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, hold firmly to the main line of adhering to peaceful development and promoting national rejuvenation and resolutely safeguard national interests in sovereignty, security and development. China will make great efforts in maintaining and prolonging the period of important strategic opportunities for China’s development to provide a strong guarantee for achieving the
two centenary goals and the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
We have been always adhering to the road of peaceful development. The road of peaceful development is China’s clear and firm response to international community about China’s development trend, and moreover a demonstration of China’s confidence and consciousness in achieving its goal of national development, which stem from the profound basis of the Chinese civilization, the correct cognition of conditions for China’s development goal and the precise understanding of the world situation. Xi Jinping points out, “China needs peace, just as people need air, just as everything needs sunshine to grow. Only by adhering to the road of peaceful development and safeguarding world peace together with other countries in the world can China achieve its goals and make greater contributions to the world”.
We have always been upholding the principle of independence. Independence was established as the basic principle of China’s foreign policy upon the birth of the New China. At the beginning of reform and opening-up, Deng Xiaoping stressed that we should adhere to the principle of independ- ence more clearly. He solemnly declared, in international affairs, China decides its position and policy on the basis of the fundamental interests of its own people and the people of the world, and on the basis of the merits and demerits of the matter itself. Both Jiang Zeming and Hu Jintao have iterated that China must unswervingly pursue an independent foreign policy of peace. According to Xi Jinping, “China firmly pursues an independent foreign policy of peace, respects the right of people of all countries to choose their own development path, upholds international fairness and justice, opposes imposing one’s own will on others, opposes interfering in other countries’ internal affairs, and opposes bullying others with one’s strength”.
We have always been adhering to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. A great creation of Chinese communists in foreign affairs, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as a vivid demonstration of the aim and tenets of the UN Charter and being endowed with visible, feasible and abiding connotations have been accepted by most of the countries in the world. Since reform and opening-up, adhering to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as the criterion to improve and develop friendly and cooperative relations with other countries in the world has been established as the basic policy of China’s diplomacy, and these principles have also been written into the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China. Xi Jinping notes that “Under the new situation, the spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence is not outdated, but lasting; the meaning of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence is not diluted, but lasting; the role of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence is not weakened, but lasting”.
Making Innovations
We have continuously made innovations in our diplomatic thinking. The reform and opening-up have witnessed continuous innovation of China’s diplomatic thinking. Firstly, the focus has been shifted from struggle to cooperation. The thinking patterns of “leaning to one side”, “hitting with both fists” and “one line, one large area” before reform and opening-up were all based on ideological lines. Since the adoption of reform and opening-up, China has held high the banner of win-win cooperation and strengthened friendly exchanges with other countries in the process of carrying out all-round diplomacy, and advocated that all peoples should enjoy dignity, development achievements and security together. Secondly, the thought of overall planning has been put forward, which consists of overall planning of domestic and international situation and overall development security. Since CPC’s 18th National Congress, the new development of China’s diplomacy in overall planning thinking is to promote pragmatic cooperation with relevant countries and regions in various fields and winwin situations through opening up and overall planning, and to create a new pattern of comprehensive opening-up with internal and external linkages and twoway opening-up between East and West. Xi Jinping repeatedly emphasizes that we should closely integrate the work of major powers, neighboring countries, developing countries and multilateral cooperation in order to plan, coordinate and promote them as a whole. Thirdly, the bottom line thinking of preventing trouble before it happens has been proposed. The bottom line thinking means to set the minimum goal in an objective way based on the lowest point for the maximum expectation. Xi Jinping says that we should be good at using the “bottom line thinking” method, preparing everything from the bad while striving for the best results, so that we can be prepared instead of panic and firmly grasp the initiative. The key of effective use of bottom line thinking lies on drawing the bottom line, holding the bottom line and declaring the bottom line.
We have continuously innovated our diplomatic concepts. In the past decades of reform and opening-up, China’s foreign policy makers have always attached great importance to conceptual innovation. Apart from the afore
The road of peaceful development is China’s clear and firm response to international community about China’s development trend.
mentioned key innovative judgment of peace and development as the two main themes in contemporary world, Deng Xiaoping also first proposed the new thinking of building a new international order based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as well as handling state-to-state relations from perspectives of national strategic interests. Based on his important judgment that the first 20 years of the 21st century are an important period of strategic opportunities that must be seized tightly for great achievement, Jiang Zemin made a more systematic proposal about building a just and reasonable new international order both politically and economically. Hu Jintao advocated building a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity by putting people first and conducting diplomatic work for the people. Xi Jinping put forward the following new diplomatic ideas: promoting the establishment of new international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation; building a community of shared future for mankind; forming a network for global partnership; constructing a framework of relations between major powers with overall stability and balanced development; deepening mutually beneficial cooperation and interconnection with neighboring countries by adhering to the concept of “affinity, sincerity, benefit and tolerance”; strengthening solidarity and cooperation with developing countries by adhering to the correct concept of righteousness and benefit and the concept of “sincerity, practical results, affinity and good faith”; actively participating in the reform and construction of the global governance system by adhering to the concept of global governance through consultation, joint construction and sharing. All the above-mentioned new ideas have enriched and further developed the Marxist diplomatic theory and the diplomatic theory of great powers with Chinese characteristics, and are playing a strong guiding role in the design and implementation of China’s diplomatic strategy and policy.
We have continuously improved the general diplomatic layout. At the beginning of the 1980s, Deng Xiaoping resolutely readjusted China’s diplomatic layout from a “one line, one large area” pattern to an “all-round” one. At the turn of the century, China has initially established a pattern of foreign relations featuring “big powers as the key, neighboring countries as the first, developing countries as the foundation and multilateralism as the important stage”. The overall layout of China’s diplomacy has been further improved since the CPC’s 18th National Congress. At the global level, we are leading the reform of global governance system with the concept of fairness and justice, and actively promoting the construction of a more balanced global governance system that reflects the will and interests of most countries. We are building a global partnership based on deepening the diplomatic layout and build a comprehensive, multi-level and three-dimensional global partnership network. We are promoting the building of Belt and Road with the principle of consultation, joint construction and sharing so as to allow all countries to share opportunities for common development and to open up prospects for joint development. In terms of relations with neighboring countries, we are adhering to the principle of good neighborliness and partnership with neighbors, upholding the concept of “Friendship, Good Faith, Mutual Benefit, Inclusiveness”, constantly deepening mutually beneficial cooperation and interconnection, and building a community of shared future for the region. In terms of relations with major powers, efforts are being made to develop a framework of relations between major powers featuring overall stability and balanced development.
In terms of relations with emerging economies and developing countries, we are adhering to the correct concept of justice and interests and the concept of “Sincerity, Real Results, Friendship and Good Faith” and strengthening solidarity and cooperation with them.
We have continuously perfected our diplomatic system and mechanism. Since the adoption of the reform and opening up, China’s diplomatic system and mechanism have been constantly improved on the basis of sticking to the core. We have promoted the diplomatic system and mechanism in an orderly manner since the 18th National Congress of the CPC. For instance, the Central Foreign Affairs Work Committee was set up on the basis of strengthening the functions of the Leading Group of the Central Foreign Affairs Work, and the National Security Committee was founded as the central coordinating body for decision making and deliberations on national security work. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has successively established specialized agencies such as the International Economic and Financial Advisory Committee and the International Law Advisory Committee to provide high-quality intellectual support on major diplomatic issues.
Looking around today’s world, the overall situation of “great changes never seen in the past century” has taken a clear shape, with world multipolarization, economic globalization, application of information in society and cultural diversity being developing in depth. The reform of global governance system and international order continues to accelerate, and the destinies of countries and peoples have never been so closely linked as they are today. At the same time, mankind is also facing serious challenges from hegemonism, power politics, protectionism, unilateralism and other aspects. Traditional and non-traditional security issues are intertwined. Rising China has entered a new era and is in the historical intersection period of achieving the two centenary goals. Guided by Xi Jinping’s diplomatic thought, China should accurately grasp the new features of the times and the new changes in the world situation, accurately grasp the trend of China’s relations with the rest of the world, continue to insist on overall planning, strengthen strategic planning, strive to create a more favorable external environment, constantly open up new realms of thought and practice, and make unremitting efforts for the realization of the Chinese dream of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as well as for safeguarding world peace and promoting joint development.