Concept called key to addressing global challenges; research center inaugurated

As the international situation becomes increasingly uncertain, diplomats and experts said Xi Jinping Thought on diplomacy－which puts the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and the building of a new type of international relations featuring fairness, justice and win-win cooperation at its core－is of great significance in coping with global challenges.

The theoretical achievements in China's diplomatic work that were developed following the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, when Xi Jinping became general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, have become the fundamental guideline for the country's diplomacy, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday.

Xi's thought on diplomacy, taking the perspective of the progress of humanity, considers a synergy between China's development and that of the rest of the world, and also the alignment of the interests of the Chinese people with those of people from other countries, Wang said at the launch ceremony of a research center on Xi Jinping Thought on diplomacy in Beijing.

It goes beyond traditional theories on international relations, which find it harder to interpret today's world as views such as the zero-sum game ideology don't conform with the trend of the times, he added.

The research center was established by the Foreign Ministry to coordinate nationwide academic resources to have an in-depth study of Xi's thought on diplomacy to make it better serve the country's diplomatic work.

Since becoming general secretary of the CPC Central Committee in November 2012, Xi has used bilateral or multilateral diplomatic occasions to propose a series of ideas and visions on what kind of relationship China should have with the rest of the world and how it will work to build such a relationship.

Common aspirations

He proposed the idea of building a community with a shared future in 2013. When visiting the United Nations Office in Geneva in January 2017, he delivered a keynote speech that called for building an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.

In his diplomatic insights, Xi sees countries forging partnerships in which they treat each other as equals and engage in mutual consultation and understanding, create a security architecture that features fairness, justice, joint contributions and shared benefits, and promote open, innovative and inclusive development that benefits all.

Xi's concepts on global governance, security, development and interactions among different cultures reflect the common aspirations of all countries in pursuing development and progress, Wang said, adding that they have unique Chinese characteristics and also demonstrate the common values of humanity.

Belt and Road Initiative

Wang said the Belt and Road Initiative, which Xi proposed in 2013, has become a new public good for the world to promote international cooperation for common development.

By the end of January, 138 countries and 30 international organizations have signed 200 cooperation documents with China on joint building of the Belt and Road.

In 2019, trade in goods between China and BRI partners topped $1.3 trillion, up by 6 percent year-on-year. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, trade between China and BRI partners in the first quarter of this year rose by 3.2 percent, and direct investment by China increased 11.7 percent on a yearly basis, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Wang expressed concerns over the current international situation, saying the COVID-19 pandemic is still raging globally, economic globalization has encountered unprecedented setbacks, the world economy is in deep recession and unilateralism, protectionism and bullying are wreaking havoc in the existing international system.

Ruan Zongze, executive vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said amid the complex changes in the international landscape resulting from the novel coronavirus pandemic, Xi's thought on diplomacy has great relevance in addressing global challenges.

Xi's vision focuses on problems relating to human development, particularly common challenges that the world faces today, so his insights not only offer China's solution to those problems, but also have a global significance in international cooperation, Ruan said.

Ruan mentioned Xi's proposal for building a community of health for all as the pandemic rages globally and China's firm support for the World Health Organization in playing a leading role in dealing with the public health crisis.

"China has been working to find ways to make it happen by providing more than 100 countries with medical supplies and also sending medical experts to some countries to help them fight the virus," he said.

As global problems are on the rise, international cooperation is the best way to solve them and unilateralism and self-isolation are doomed to fail, Ruan added.