I. CHALLENGES

There are more continuities than readjustments as far as China’s diplomatic strategy and foreign policy are concerned. However, as both internal and external conditions are undergoing fast and sometimes fundamental changes, some noteworthy readjustments are taking place. Mainly speaking, China’s diplomatic strategy and foreign policy are confronting with four challenges.

Firstly, rapid changes in domestic economics, politics, cultures and societies are calling for substantial transformations. Chinese integration with global economy has brought the entire Chinese people a part of the on-going globalization, thus resulting in mutual influence and reinforcement between domestic and foreign economies. China’s foreign policy decision making process becomes ever more complicated because of greatly enlarged participation representing various interests groups. Social media changes Chinese citizen’s passive receiving to active interacting.

Secondly, the international community is calling China’s bigger roles and greater responsibilities in global affairs. China is now the second largest economy in the world if taking states as counting units. China is a major player at such important global or multilateral organizations as the UN, G20, BRICS and SCO. China also works closely with the international community to cope with global issues such as climate change and energy security.

Thirdly, China’s surrounding areas are complicated by a chain of events since 2010. Politically and strategically, the United States are implementing its “Rebalancing in Asia-Pacific Region” strategy. Japan is hardening its foreign and security policy thus making less room for compromises with China over maritime and other disputes. The Philippines and Vietnam are backing up their claims over the South China Sea by more assertions and aggressiveness. Economically, the regional cooperation suddenly finds new assertions and proposals, such as TPP and RCEP, thus putting China in a new round of challenges. In terms of people-to-people interactions, China is enhancing its cultural, educational and tourism interchanges with its Asian neighbors and confronting with the accompanying challenges as well.

Finally, China needs to match up with other on common and shared values. In terms of values, China is both unique and universal. On the one hand, China has developed its distinctive values in the 5,000 years of civilization and nation building such as Confucianism and Taoism. On the other hand, China shares with the world on key values of the mankind. Moreover, being a global power, China is working hard at building more common or shared values with the other members of the international community.

II. READJUSTMENTS

Although China’s diplomatic strategy and foreign policy under the Chinese new leadership are still unfolding, at least we can see the following four readjustments:

Firstly, China is attaching greater importance to strategic thinking and concentration. Mr. Xi Jinping calls on the nation to focus on the strategic goal of building favorable environments for China’s modernization and rejuvenation despite the difficulties and distractions. Although there are many pressing issues in China’s external relations, the new Chinese leadership stays on the trajectory of thinking comprehensively. The overall strategic goals are to build up more favorable external environments for China’s continued Reform and Opening-up, preserve the nation’s sovereignty, security and development interests, and to promote peace, development and win-win cooperation.

Secondly, China sets strategic priorities by improving surrounding situation and promoting new model of major countries relationship (NMMCR). In improving its neighborhood relations, China is making a tri-fold effort by strengthening bilateral relations, regional economic and security cooperation and dealing with the hotspot issues. In promoting the NMMCR, China stresses on non-conflict and non-confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation. China’s current focus of NMMCR is on the Sino-U.S. relations. Yet it aims at improving relations with others such as the traditional powers, emerging powers and regional powers with differentiated emphases. The Sino-Russian relations focus on strategic support each other. The Sino-E.U. relations stress on economic and financial matters. The intra-BRICS relations give priority to enhancement of group strength and influence. Besides, China tries to strengthen its relations with such regional powers as South Korea, Indonesia, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Mexico and Argentine.

Thirdly, China stresses more on the balance between seeking for practical interests and upholding virtues and obligations. Thanks to the three-decade plus of reform and opening-up, China has accumulated a fairly solid foundation of material wealth and intellectual experience. These enable China to work with the developed and developing countries alike for win-win cooperation, such as inter-connectivity of infrastructure, creation of new monetary and financial facilities, and even more choices for development models and systemic alternatives. China has expressed its readiness to shoulder more international responsibilities and obligations by more benefit sharing. China is still a developing country. But this economic and political nature increase China’s consciousness of striving for common developments rather than avoiding more responsibilities.

Last but not least, China seeks for greater internal and external coordination when planning and implementing diplomatic strategy and foreign policy. China is fully aware of the fact that we are living in a world towards political multipolarity, economic globalization, cultural pluralism and socialization of information. It is extremely imperative for China to do a greater job in coordinating various interests groups domestically while building for communities of common interests, stakeholders and destinies.

To conclude, I would like to call your kind attention to the fact that China will adhere to the road of peace, development and win-win cooperation. Because this road has been proved to be in the interests of both China’s and the world’s. Any strategic and policy-wise readjustments would be strengthening this general commitment and orientation.

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