The past few years have witnessed a growing appeal, both from home and from abroad, that China should reform its diplomatic system and proactively embrace the historic transformation of its relationship with the world. Especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, China’s diplomatic system has undergone multiple changes within its basic framework. From the perspective of institutional dynamics, the system is shifting from emphasizing the role of serving the country’s development to the role of serving the Chinese Dream, that is, the great renewal of the Chinese nation, putting more weight on top-level design, strategic coordination, and multidimensional diplomacy. These changes are determined by China’s changing role in the world as well as the intrinsic demands of China’s social development. In the future, it is expected that China’s diplomatic system will maintain such a course of transformation, so as to reach a new balance between the existing international system and China’s domestic governance system.

Pursuing the Chinese Dream: Institutional Changes of Chinese Diplomacy under President Xi Jinping

Source of documents：China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies