The Course and Enlightenment of China's Diplomacy in the 40-year Reform and Opening-up

By Professor Gao Fei,China Foreign Affairs University

Reform and opening-up are the most striking feature of contemporary China.This unprecedented great reform and opening-up in human history has greatly stimulated the inherent potential of ancient China,and made China successfully move from the edge of the international system to the center of the world stage,and realize a great historic leapfrog from a highly centralized planned economy to a dynamic socialist market economy, from seclusion and semi-seclusion to full opening.In this transitional process,China's diplomacy has always upheld national sovereignty, security and development interests,and has made historic contributions to the success of reform and opening-up.

The development course of China's diplomacy since the reform and opening-up

From the reform and opening-up to the 18th National Congress of the Communist party of China(CPC),China's diplomatic development has gone through three stages.

The first stage is from the end of 1970s,especially from the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee,the CPC to the end of the 1980s:"independence"and"non-alignment".With shift of the focus of the whole CPC's work,comrade Deng Xiaoping made a major adjustment on China's diplomatic strategy and tactics,and put forward the"independent foreign policy of peace".Before the 1980s,China had always regarded"war and revolution"as the theme of the times,and China's diplomatic strategy was guided for a long time by the revolutionary struggle and the establishment of the international united front.At the end of the 1970s,comrade Deng Xiaoping changed the formulation of an inevitable and imminent World War.In 1987,the report to the Thirteenth National Congress of the CPC clearly states that"peace and development are the main themes of the times".With the changes in understanding the main themes of the times,the main goal of China's diplomacy has become"creating a sound international environment for domestic construction"from"supporting the world revolution".Opening up to the outside world has become a basic national policy for China's socialist modernization drive.The model of China's diplomatic strategy has also changed from getting bloc confrontation to independence and non-alignment.In dealing with foreign relations,it takes the national interests as the starting point,transcends social system and ideology,establishes and develops friendly relations with all countries in accordance with the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence,and promotes the establishment of a peaceful,stable,fair and reasonable international new political and economic order.Under the guidance of this idea,China and the United States formally established diplomatic relations on January 1,1979, meanwhile,in the spirit of"ending the past and pioneering the future",the relations between China and the Soviet Union were normalized in May 1989.On solving the issues of Hong Kong and Macao,China reached agreements with the United Kingdom and Portugal respectively to push forward the great cause of reunification of the motherland.

The second stage is from the end of 1980s to the end of 1990s:"keeping a low profile and making some progress".From the end of the 1980s to the beginning of 1990s,China's diplomacy underwent intense upheaval and great test of the drastic changes in Eastern Europe,the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the bipolar structure.According to the judgment that peace and development are still the main themes of the times,China actively participates in economic globalization and promotes multipolarity of the world, advocates coordination and dialogue,non-confrontation and common efforts for maintenance of world peace, stability and development.In such a difficult and extremely complicated situation,China persists in keeping a low profile and properly handles the crisis events,maintains the overall situation of national stability and development.According to the principle of respecting the independent choice of the peoples of all countries,it has realized the smooth transition from China–USSR relations to China-Russia relations,and established and developed friendly relations with the former Soviet republics and Eastern European countries,overcome the adverse effects of the Asian financial crisis.Hong Kong and Macao are returned to the ancestral country smoothly,and the neighborliness and cooperation between China and the neighboring countries are constantly improving and consolidating.

The third stage is from the end of 1990s to the 18th National Congress of the CPC: "peace and development"and"mutual benefit and win-win outcomes".At the turn of the century,economic globalization deepened and the revolution of science and technology accelerated, and state-to–state interdependence became ever closer.From the global perspective,the world is still not in tranquility,hegemonism and power politics are still in existence,terrorism is spreading and economic development is unbalanced,world peace and development are facing many difficulties and challenges. From China's perspective, its comprehensive national strength has been greatly strengthened,its international status has been increasing and its ties with the world have been more closely linked.Facing the new situation and new problems,China has proposed unswervingly to take the road of peaceful development,co-ordinate both the international and domestic situations,actively create a peaceful and stable international environment,neighborly and friendly surrounding environment, equal and mutually beneficial cooperation environment, mutual trust and cooperative security environment, objective friendly public opinion environment,and adhere to open strategy of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes,seek peace through cooperation,promote development through cooperation and resolve disputes through cooperation.In the field of security,in accordance with the principle of mutual understanding and mutual accommodation and fairness and rationality,through consultations and negotiations,China has comprehensively resolved the border problems left over by history with Russia,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan and Vietnam.In the field of economic development,China became an official member of the World Trade Organization in 2001,and put forward the strategy of"going global"to promote further participation of China's economy in international cooperation.In the humanities and social fields,China has vigorously carried out cultural diplomacy and deepened its understanding and trust with the peoples of the world

Reform and opening-up boost China's development into a new era

After forty years of reform and opening-up,China's economy has made remarkable achievements.China has become the world's second largest economy,the largest industrial country,the largest goods trading country and the largest foreign exchange reserve country.In 2016,China's GDP exceeded US$11 trillion,accounting for 14.84%of the world's total economy.The total amount of imports and exports reached US$3.69 trillion.It is the largest trading partner with nearly 130 countries or regions in the world and the fastest growing import market in the world.The foreign exchange reserves are more than US$3 trillion.These series of achievements and historical progress have not only fundamentally changed the face of China's long-term poverty and backwardness,but also achieved a great leap from standing up to getting rich and to strongly rising,and brought China's relations with the world to a new historical starting point.The 19th National Congress of the CPC clearly points out that socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era.China's diplomacy in the new era actively advocates the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind,and vigorously builds a new-type international relationship, "comprehensively promoting the major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics,form a comprehensive,multi-level and three-dimensional diplomatic layout,and creating a sound external condition for the development of our country."1

First of all,China actively builds a framework of major-country relations with generally stable and balanced development.In May 2012,when Vice President Xi Jinping visited the United States,he put forward to vigorously shape the bilateral partnership into a new-type major-country relationship in twenty-first Century.In accordance with the connotation of the new-type major-country relations, i.e. "non-conflict, non-confrontation,mutual respect,cooperation and win-win outcomes",which emphasizes taking into account the interests of each other in the pursuit of its own interests,promoting common development in the pursuit of national development;controlling differences and deepening the pattern of benefit and inclusiveness,and ensuring the Sino-U.S.relations always going forward on the right track. China-Russia comprehensive strategic coordinate partnership maintains high-level operation,and the two sides have established high-level political and strategic mutual trust,sound high-level exchanges and cooperation mechanisms in various fields.Their respective development strategies have achieved docking,and the bilateral cooperation has become an important engine for regional cooperation.In the course of Sino-EU cooperation,the two sides are committed to building the four major partnership systems of peace,growth,reform and civilization,and the China-Central and Eastern Europe"16+1 cooperation"represented by China-Europe train expresses has entered the fast track.

Second,deepen relations with neighboring countries in accordance with the principle of"maintaining friendship and partnership".China practices the concept of"amity,sincerity, benefit and inclusiveness"and is committed to the full and effective implementation of the joint action plan for the strategic partnership between China and ASEAN for peace and prosperity 2016-2020,and new progress is achieved in mutually benefitial cooperation with ASEAN.With the strengthening cooperation in infrastructure and other aspects,China has expanded its"circle of friends"in South Asia.In addition,China with all Central Asian countries have established strategic partnership,the Central Asian countries have become advocates and builders for the Belt and Road Initiative.With the accession of two new members,i.e.India and Pakistan,the Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO)has become the largest and most populous regional cooperation organization in the world,and the cooperation between China and the member countries of the SCO has also stepped up a new higher step.

Third,upholding justice while pursuing interests,and promoting cooperation with developing countries in terms of quality upgrading.According to the work policy of"sincerity,practical results,affinity and good faith”on Africa,China has invested US$60 billion to support the China-Africa ten major cooperation plans. China-Africa relationship has been promoted from"new-type strategic partnership"to"comprehensive strategic partnership",and China-Africa cooperation reaches a new height.China and Latin American countries founded the China-Latin American Forum,and constructed a"five in one"new pattern between China and Latin America through various forms.China and Arabian countries have established strategic relations of comprehensive cooperation and common development, and China-Arab Cooperation has entered a new stage.

Fourth,expanding global governance platforms by following the principles of extensive consultation,joint construction and shared benefits.With the continuous growth of comprehensive national strength,China is increasingly approaching the center of the world stage.The world expects China to play a greater role in global governance.The successful hosting of important international conferences such as the First Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation,the Informal Meeting of APEC Leaders,leaders of the G-20 Summit in Hangzhou,the BRICS Leaders Meeting in Xiamen,the CICA Summit and many others,China provides China’s program to resolve the problems facing the world with loud voice,and has further enhanced its influence,charisma and shaping capacity in the international system.

China's diplomacy in the new era has successfully created multi-level global partnership networks.By the end of 2017,175 countries had established diplomatic relations with China.The CPC maintains regular contacts with more than 400 political parties and political organizations in more than 160 countries in the world.The National People’s Congress actively carries out diplomatic work, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference(CPPCC)has been making friends with various countries in the world.The influence of military diplomacy is also growing.Peacekeeping and Naval convoy are becoming new cards of China being a responsible major country.Below the level of central exchanges,China has provinces,autonomous regions and municipalities totaling 31 and also 478 cities,which together with 513 provinces and 1607 cities of 135 countries in five continents have established 2470 pairs of sister cities(provinces or states)relations.

The Enlightenment of China's diplomacy since the reform and opening-up

First of all,we must uphold the CPC leadership and give full play to the advantages of the Chinese political system.The CPC leadership is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Since the beginning of reform and opening-up, China has achieved fruitful achievements in diplomacy,creating a new situation in the major country diplomacy,which cannot be done without the CPC leadership.To carry out the CPC leadership in all aspects of the diplomatic work is"to adhere to the guidance of Mao Zedong thought,Deng Xiaoping Theory and the Important Thought of"Three Representatives",to carry out the Scientific Outlook on Development,to unify the thinking and understanding with the judgment on the international situation by the CPC Central Committee,and to unify with the major principles and the strategic plan put forward by the CPC Central Committee,we must resolutely carry out the foreign policies and guidelines formulated by the CPC Central Committee.2Xi Jinping Thought on major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in a new era clearly puts forward the need to promote the construction of new-type international relations and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.The Report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC closely combines practice with theoretical innovation,creatively comes up with a series of major policy proposals on China's relations with foreign countries,international order and global governance,and has fully enriched the theoretical connotation and ideological system of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics,and shown fresh,innovative and advanced nature,and provided a guide for us to do a good job in foreign affairs in the new era.3The diplomatic work is a systematic project,and the foreign policy-making rests with the CPC Central Committee.Contemporary diplomatic work has increasingly become a systematic project covering politics,economy,science and technology,culture,security and others.These all determine the inevitability,necessity and importance of China's insistence on and strengthening of the CPC's absolute leadership and overall planning.In the new historical circumstances,only under the absolute unified leadership of the CPC to co-ordinate both the international and domestic situations,to co-ordinate both development and security,to co-ordinate deferent levels between the central government and local government,and between government and people,thus,bringing all sides into organic interactions and playing effective"combined"roles and formulating synergy in order to maintain the national core interests and serve the national development,can China's diplomacy always stay on the right road,and win victory to victory.This is the institutional guarantee and institutional advantage of China's diplomacy,and the advantages must be unswervingly and consistently applied and developed.

Secondly,the successful practice of China's diplomacy can not be separated from seeking truth from facts,keeping pace with the times and accurately grasping the characteristics of the times.Only by having correct under standing of the characteristics of the times and accurately grasping the complex and changeable main contradictions of international relations, and acquiring deep understanding of the basic national conditions of China,can we keep an eye on the megatrend and make the overall planning,strengthen the design and strategic plan at the top level,establish the bottom line thinking,firmly grasp the initiative and formulate the correct diplomatic principles and policies.After the reform and opening-up,comrade Deng Xiaoping made a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of various contradictions and their relations in the world,and put forward the judgment that peace and development are the main themes of the times, which provided important theoretical guidance for China to adjust the national strategy and adhere to the independent foreign policy of peace.Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC,General Secretary XiJinping,based on the profound changes in the international situation and the increasing international status of China,has proposed the construction of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.The Report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC points out,"socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era".These are new national positioning on China's development and scientific judgments on historical stance,and indicate clearly the direction for the future development of China's diplomacy."The Communist Party of China is a political party striving for the well-being of the Chinese people and human progress.To make new and greater contributions to mankind is the CPC’s abiding mission.4To build a new-type international relationship,build a community with a shared future for mankind and serve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation are the requirements of the times and still the task of China's diplomacy in the new era.

Third,transcending ideology to deal with state-to-state relations,pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace,and vigorously building a community with a shared future for mankind.It is an objective reality that countries with different social systems and ideologies will exist in the world for a long time.In the face of the changes in Soviet Union and Eastern Europe,comrade Deng Xiaoping pointed out that"we must keep in touch with all countries and strengthen relations with both the Soviet Union and the United States.No matter how the Soviet Union changes,we should develop our relations including political relations with it on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence,and not engage in ideological debate."5What is transcending ideology to handle state relations?It is to insist on independence in diplomacy;for all international affairs,it is based on the fundamental interests of the Chinese people and the peoples of the world as well as the merit of each case to determine its own position and policy;it is to adhere to the path of peaceful development and develop itself through peaceful development,meanwhile maintain world peace through its own development;it is to build a community with a shared future for mankind and build a world of lasting peace,universal security,and common prosperity,and a world that is open and inclusive,and clean and beautiful.The Communist Party of China is a political party striving for the well-being of the Chinese people and human progress.To make new and greater contributions to mankind is the CPC abiding mission.The idea of a community with a shared future for mankind is to transcend the ideology and combine the development of China with the common interests of peoples of all countries in the world,advocating the concerted efforts made by peoples of all countries to meet the challenges together and achieve common development and progress.

Fourth,emancipating mind,innovating and taking the road of peaceful development,and adhering to the open strategy of mutual benefit and win-win outcome.Since the1980s,with the accelerated development of globalization,the international situation has under gone profound changes. Under the new situation, China's diplomacy kept pace with the times and responded to challenges.Since the end of the cold war,the Western community has made various predictions about the relationship between China and the outside world.Scholars based on the realist theory of balance of strength and the theory of power transition predicted that China would adopt the policy of counterbalancing the United States,which will result in a world war between China and the United States in the end.The liberal Western scholars believe that the economic market-oriented China will completely copy the Western political model and eventually will evolve into a Western country.From the perspective of conceptual structure, constructivists believe that China's identity is influenced by ideology and traditional culture and is hard to integrate into the Western democratic community.In practice,China has not only abandoned the cold war relations model between the United States and the former Soviet Union,but also did not take the fundamental change of identity as the liberalists predicted,but creatively embarked on the road of peaceful development in line with its own national conditions,adhered to the basic national policy of opening-up to the outside world and persisted in construction by keeping the national gate wide open.As president Xi Jinping says,"openness brings progress,and closure inevitably leaves us behind.China's opened door will not be closed,but will be opened wider and wider."6China will energetically build a common development pattern of opening to the outside world,promote the construction of free trade zones in the Asia-Pacific region and the negotiations on regional comprehensive economic partnership agreements,and build global free trade zones networks.This is not a small circle of exclusiveness and fragmentation.China will not enhance trade competitiveness through devaluation of the RMB,nor will it take the initiative to fight currency wars and trade wars.China will focus on the Belt and Road construction,insist on both bringing in and going global,follow the principle of extensive consultation,joint construction and shared benefits,and adhere to peace and development with all countries in the world,and achieve mutual benefit and win-win out comes through openness and cooperation.

Since there form and opening-up,China's diplomacy has created a favorable international environment for the development of the country.China's diplomacy in the new era is faced with new missions and tasks.Adhering to the top-level design,the bottom line thinking,the initiative planning and the vigorous efforts for progress,China's diplomacy will make a new and greater contribution to the greatrevival of the Chinese nation,build a community with a shared future for mankind,and structure a new international relationship.

(Edited excerpts of the Article in the Contemporary World,No.5,2018)

Footnotes:

[1]Xi Jinping,"Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Strive for the Great Success of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era-Report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China",Beijing,People's Publishing House,2017,p7.

[2]Yang Jiechi,“Chinese Diplomacy since the Reform and Opening-up”,http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/chn/gxh/wzb/zxxx/t512782.htm.

[3]Wang Yi:"Guiding the Pioneering of the New Realm of China's Diplomacy with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics," People's Daily,December 19,2017.

[4]Xi Jinping,"Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Strive for the Great Success of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era-Report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China",Beijing,People's Publishing House,2017,pp.57-58.

[5]Deng Xiaoping Selected Works,Volume III,Beijing,People's Publishing House,1993,p.353.

[6]Xi Jinping,"Secure a Decisive Victory in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects and Strive for the Great Success of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era-Report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China",Beijing,People's Publishing House,2017,p.34.