From Major-Country Diplomacy to Global Governance

By Yu Hongjun

?

From Major-Country Diplomacy to Global Governance

By Yu Hongjun

Vice President of CPAPD and Former Vice Minister of the IDCPCCC

Over the past 5 years, China has recorded remarkable diplomatic achievements, China’s international status has unprecedentedly upgraded, moving increasingly closer to the center of the world stage, formed a scientific, systematic and complete system of Xi Jinping diplomatic thought in the new era.

China is building a new major-country relationship

In today's world, the United States is the largest developed country with the largest economy in the world while China is the largest developing country with the second largest economy in the world. The developing Sino-U.S. relations is related to the interests of both countries and also to the whole international relations. Vigorous efforts to promote the construction of the new-form Sino -U.S. major-country relations and transcending the so-called phenomenon that there will be a war between the rising countries and the defending countries historically, i.e. the so-called "Thucydides trap", become the priority of diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

In June 2013, the heads of state of China and the United States held a "ranch meeting" in the United States. President Xi Jinping defines the new-form Sino-U.S. major-country relations as non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation. In July 2014, the Sino-U.S. economic and strategic security dialogue was held in Beijing. Xi Jinping attended the meeting to congratulate and put forward new proposals, the most important of which is to enhance mutual trust, command the direction, respect each other and cement commonalities and dispel differences. In November the same year, the two heads of state held a meeting in Beijing, President Xi Jinping urged the U.S. side to establish new-form major- country relations, but cannot stay in the concept only, and should take specific actions. In September 2015, Xi Jinping paid a formal visit to the United States. He emphasized that building a new-type major-country relationship between China and the United States is a strategic choice for the two countries, the two sides should correctly judge each other's strategic intentions, should unswervingly advance cooperation and win-win outcomes, properly and effectively control differences, and widely cultivate people's friendship.

After Trump took over the presidency of the United States in early 2017, China -U.S. relations faced a series of new challenges. In the last April, President Xi Jinping visited the United States again and held a meeting with Trump in Florida. The heads of state of reached an important consensus and pointed at the direction for development of Sino-U.S. relations in the new period. In last July, Xi Jinping met with Trump after the closing of the G-20 Hamburg Summit. Xi Jinping pointed out that China and the United States must firmly command the direction of bilateral relations, committed to respect for each other, and mutual benefit and mutual benefit, expand pragmatic cooperation in various fields, strengthen coordination on international and regional issues, and promote healthy and stable development of Sino-U.S. relations. On November 8th, Trump visited China. He believed that under the joint efforts of both sides, Sino-U.S. pragmatic cooperation in the field of economy and trade and security will be further enriched, and bilateral relations will continue to develop along the normal track.

Of course, because of the political, economic, security, ideological and other reasons, to build a major-country relationship between China and the United States will not be smooth sailing. China needs to maintain enough pressure on the United States concerning national core interests and national security. But it also needs to maintain communication and coordination with the United States on regional and international issues and carry out dialogues and cooperation.

Russia is an influential power in the world and an important neighbor of China. The two countries share a common border of more than 4000 kilometers. In the mid -1990s, according to the Russian proposal, a strategic partnership was established between China and Russia. Over the past 20 years, the Sino-Russian strategic and coordinate partnership has stood the tests of the changing domestic situation and the changing international situation, showing a good prospect for development.

In recent years, the heads of state of China and Russia have been meeting frequently. Xi Jinping as head of state chose Russia for the first state visit overseas in the year 2013. The two sides confirmed that the central task of the developing the Sino-Russian relations is to increase mutual political support, expand pragmatic cooperation, deepen cooperation in strategic projects, and strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs.

After the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis in 2014, the relations between Russia and Ukraine were completely intensified, and the western countries imposed sanctions on Russia. China has promoted further expansion of China-Russia cooperation in all fields. This year, Putin came to Shanghai to attend the CICA summit China hosted, Xi Jinping traveled specially to Sochi to participate in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics Russia hosted. These two extraordinary actions fully demonstrate the stability and reliability of the Sino Russian strategic partnership. In 2015, Xi Jinping and Putin attended each other’s 70th anniversary in commemoration of the victory of the anti-fascist war, and sent their soldiers to the parade of the other side, which shocked the international community.

Currently, China and Russia have signed a document docking the Road and Belt construction with the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union; a joint statement on deepening the comprehensive strategic and coordinate partnership and jointly promoting win-win cooperation; having recoded fruitful cooperation in the energy, finance, aircraft manufacturing and other key areas; friendly exchanges and cooperation in various forms has always maintained between Parliament, between military and between political parties, between think tanks, and between local government and social organizations. Both sides have great potential for cooperation in maintaining regional peace and stability, jointly promoting regional security cooperation, and promoting common development and progress.

The European Union is the largest group of countries in the world today. China-EU relations is one of the most important bilateral relations in the current world. After several decades of joint efforts, China and EU have established over 60 dialogue and consultation mechanisms, covering all areas. In the year 2013, China-EU 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation was published. China emphasizes that China and the EU are "the two major forces, the two major markets and the two major civilizations" in the world. In March 2014, Xi Jinping visited Europe. China and Europe issued a joint declaration on Deepening the China-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Mutual Benefit, and reached consensus on building the four major partnerships, namely, peace partnership, growth partnership, reform partnership and civilization partnership.

In the year 2016, the British referendum on breaking with the EU won, which worsens the EU’s internal problems, but China supports European integration and supporting the EU's important role in international affairs remains the same. Xi Jinping made it clear that China firmly supports the development of European integration and always regards the development of Europe as an important part of the multipolarization process. The interests between China and Europe become integrated in-depth, and the "four partnerships" have developed on the basis of the consensus of the two sides.

China deepens its friendly relations with neighbors in the surrounding areas

The Chinese surrounding environment is extremely complex, therefore the surrounding issues are given great attention, has been regarded as part of the inhabitance, and foundation for prosperity and development. I just wish to list a few points. First of all, we need to pay attention to the fact that China does not only take Sino-Russian relations as a priority of its neighboring diplomacy, but also constantly increases its efforts in diplomacy with all other surrounding countries. On the basis of continuous adherence to the diplomatic policy of "friendship and partnership with neighbors" and "building amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood", China has also put forward the new concept of "affinity, sincerity, benefit and inclusiveness". This is the concrete embodiment of Xi Jinping diplomatic thought in the surrounding affairs, and the diplomatic position of the peripheral diplomacy in the major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics is becoming more and more prominent. In Northeast Asia, in the summer of 2014, Xi Jinping made a special visit to South Korea and Mongolia and made new exploration and efforts to work for a sound geopolitical pattern. The formation of the meeting mechanism of the leaders of China, Russia and Mongolia has created a new mode of leaders' diplomacy.

Central Asia is where the ancient Silk Road passed through, and the traditional friendship between the peoples of Central Asia and the Chinese nation has a long history. Central Asia is also a hedging region for various civilizations and cultures to integrate and collide, connecting with the three continents of Asia, Europe and Africa, having very important strategic position and abundant natural resources. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping has visited Central Asia for several times, and closely linked political and economic relations and cultural exchanges between China and Central Asian countries, and constantly widened ties of common development and common security interests. Nowadays, Central Asia has become one of the important bases for energy supply to China. The Central Asian countries have become a reliable partners in the joint efforts to combat separatist force, terrorist force and extreme force.

Southeast Asia is a region of great vitality, but also a region with relatively concentrated contradictions and problems in the Asia-Pacific. ASEAN is the largest and more successful regional cooperation organization in the region. Over the past 20 years, China has made full use of various mechanisms and platforms such as ASEAN 10+1, ASEAN 10+3 and East Asia Summit to develop relations with ASEAN in an all-round way. ASEAN has become the third largest trading partner of China. In recent years, Xi Jinping has visited more than half of ASEAN members, personally writing a great chapter for building neighborly and friendly environment and establishing the community of a shared future between China and ASEAN. China, in order to promote development of relations between the two sides, proposes the 2+7 cooperation framework, i.e. based on a two-point consensus to deepen strategic mutual trust and focus on economic development -- promoting cooperation in the political, security, economic, financial, cultural, interoperability and interconnectivity, maritime, humanitarian areas, which have won support and response by ASEAN countries generally.

India and Pakistan are China's important neighbors in South Asia, but China-India relations are delicate and complex. Xi Jinping's successful visit to India in 2014 promoted the Prime Minister of India's successful visit to China later on. The two sides jointly made new plans for the future strategic cooperation between the two countries, and reached a consensus on maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas. India's accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the cooperation with China under the BRICS cooperation mechanism is a clear evidence. In April 2015, Xi Jinping visited Pakistan, further consolidated the traditional friendship between China and Pakistan, enhanced the mutually beneficial cooperation level of both sides, and strengthened the common will and determination of jointly fighting terrorism and safeguarding regional security together.

The great practical significance and far-reaching historical importance of the Belt and Road Initiative on China's diplomatic work

In September 2013, during his visit to Kazakhstan, President Xi Jinping proposed that China and the Eurasian countries could jointly build the Silk Road Economic Belt. When visiting Indonesia in October the same year, he also proposed that China would like to join the ASEAN countries for construction of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Then, at the Diplomatic Work Forum of the CPCCC, Xi Jinping pointed out, the Chinese economic cooperation with neighboring countries should prioritize on deepening mutually beneficial and win-win pattern, and through joint efforts to accelerate infrastructure interconnectivity and interoperability, and build well the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The implementation priorities of the Belt and Road Initiative is the "Five Connectivities", i.e. policy, infrastructure, trade, financing, and the people-to-people connectivity. To achieve the "Five Connectivities" is to actively take advantage of the bilateral cooperation and multilateral cooperation mechanisms, with Asian countries as a key direction, the economic corridors as the basis, the transportation infrastructure as a breakthrough, building the financing platforms as a hook, cultural exchanges as the ties, to deepen interoperability partnership between Asian countries, and jointly build a community of development and a shared future. In order to solve the huge needs for funds for the Belt and Road construction, China initiates the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which receives wide support. In January 2016, the AIIB officially went into operation, and its member countries increased from 57 to over 70, which is estimated to be over 90 soon.

The Belt and Road Initiative has receivedinternational recognition and support extensively, which is an important symbol of the successful China’s major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. In last May, The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation was held in Beijing. Twenty-nine heads of state and government and leaders of more than 70 international organizations attended the event. The conference issued a joint statement and signed a series of new cooperation documents and recorded more than 270 important achievements. Now, participating countries in the Belt and Road construction are not only the 60 countries along the Belt and Road expected at the very beginning. The Belt and Road construction has become the largest global action in the world cooperation development, inclusive development, connected development, and win-win development, and become the path of peace, path of prosperity, path of opening-up, path of innovation and path of civilization collectively pioneered by mankind society, and is gradually moving towards a community with a shared future for mankind.

China's past and future role in construction and reform of the global governance system

For a long time, China has been actively participating in many international organizations and international mechanisms with the UN system at the core, and has made a unique contribution to improving the global governance system and giving better play to its role. China is an active participant in the existing international system, and also a main guardian of the existing international order, and an important guide for the reform of international relations. As we all know, due to major changes in the world structure, balance of strength and international security situation, the problems in the existing international organizations and international mechanisms are also increasingly exposed, and some institutions and their operation rules are obviously not adapted to the characteristics of the times. In recent years, facing the increasingly prominent global problems such as the ecological environment, terrorism, transnational crime and illegal immigration, the western countries which are deeply affected by the financial crisis have been increasingly inactive, which results in some international mechanisms' role and influence being challenged.

On the other hand, the importance and influence of emerging countries are rising. From the perspective of global governance, the G-20 has become a new global governance platform and an international coordination mechanism. In the international organizations and international mechanisms such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization and the World Bank, the desire of developing countries to strive for their rights and interests is increasing, and their discourse is also rising. The balance of international strength is being strengthened and promotes the international system to strengthen the trend of change. This change has shown a strong restriction on the dominant position of the developed countries, and is conducive to further formation of a new and rational new international relations and international order.

Therefore, the current international situation objectively provides more opportunities and possibilities for China to participate in the innovation of international rules and become a promoter and guide for building new international relations and international order. In recent years, China’s top leaders have put forward a series of new international relations theories and policies, which imperceptibly impacts the direction of the changing international relations. These theories and ideas with distinct characteristics are fully feasible in practice, and some are embodied in the construction of international rules at present. For example, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which is initiated by China, has developed into a new cooperation platform with increasingly international influence. In the past two years, China has also been involved in the creation of the BRICS cooperation mechanism. Meanwhile, new international financial organizations, such as BRICS bank and AIIB, have made up for the short board of the existing international financial cooperation mechanisms. It should be noticed that China has made some achievements in the establishment of new international rules and the creation of international mechanisms.

The Report to the 19th National Congress, CPC goes in rather detail in describing China’s major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristic and promoting global governance system reform and construction, as well as promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, which will help the international community to better understand the Chinese new ideas, new position and new strategy of participation in global governance, and promotion of establishing an international political and economic new order etc..

On positioning the global influence of China in the new era from the two dimensions of history and international pattern, and the role of Xi Jinping diplomatic thought while China’s global influence is being shaped

The world is in a period of profound and radical historical changes. Redivision and recombination of various forces, reconfiguration of the geopolitical patterns and human society's future and destiny have never been changing and confusing like today. Now the world is such a mess, and what can be done, which is a era test facing China, Xi Jinping diplomatic thought accurately commands the mega-trend of the world, and properly deals with the changing situation in surrounding regions, calls for more positive and more creative participation in global affairs, accelerates steps towards the center of the world stage and guide the changing trend of international relations, thus, provides a strong ideological engine and policy guidance.

Currently, the increasingly constructive role of China, as a guardian of international order, a participant in global governance and an advocate of win-win development, is widely recognized by the international community. Any major problems in the world, including peacekeeping operations under the UN framework, South-South cooperation, addressing the challenges of climate change and international terrorism, etc. can hardly be satisfactorily resolved without China’s participation. China is undertaking more international responsibilities and obligations that are compatible with its own status and capabilities. China is providing more public products for the international community, and is making new and greater contributions to the cause of human common progress.

Of course, China will still be in a period of historical transition to become rich and strong in the future for a considerable period of time. The basic attribute of China, as the largest developing socialist country, has not changed. The vast majority of developing countries are still the strategic support for the continuous promotion of the major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. Adhering to the new concept of righteousness and benefit put forward by Xi Jinping, consolidating and deepening the traditional friendship between China and developing countries is still an important link in the overall layout of China's diplomacy.

In addition, because of more and more uncertainties in the development and changes of the international situation, the emergence and development of many factors are independent of man’s will. In many years to come, which will be a period for the Chinese nation's comprehensive rejuvenation and China's peaceful rise meeting with the more difficulties and risks, and even greater challenges and pressures, Western countries are still likely to increase their efforts to contain China's rise and the dual features of some of their policies towards China may further increase. The security situation in Northeast Asia may remain tense, and there may be new changes in the surrounding situation. Multilateral mechanisms and multilateral diplomacy, civil friendship and public diplomacy will play a more and more important role in the major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

In conclusion, no matter how the international situation changes, under the correct guidance of Xi Jinping diplomatic thought and the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, China will be able to mobilize various diplomatic resources more effectively, and constantly overcome the difficulties and obstacles on the way ahead. The positive interaction between the fact that China goes to the world and the world comes up to China will certainly be given stronger momentum. The cohesion of the Chinese nation, the influence of the Chinese civilization, the inspiring power of the Chinese path and the role of the Chinese program will continue to rise. China will march forward along the historical development of peaceful building, peaceful coexistence, and peaceful development.