China’s Diplomacy in 2021： Embracing a Global Vision and Serving the Nation and Its People

WANG Yi

For China’s diplomacy， the past year has seen us acting under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. As a result， we have conducted effective anti-COVID diplomacy， fulfilled the responsibility of a major country， injected new impetus into economic recovery， and created new opportunities for common development. Furthermore， we have held high the torch of true multilateralism， and firmly upheld the authority of the UN and stable international order. Moreover， we have promoted the overall steady growth of China’s relations with other major countries， endeavored to build a new type of international relations， joined force with our neighbors to build a beautiful homeland， and upheld regional peace and tranquility. We have worked vigorously to develop the potential of South-South cooperation further， held high the banner of a community with a shared future for mankind， actively promoted reforms of the global governance system， and resolutely defended our national sovereignty， security and dignity. And we have worked all-out to serve domestic development and are committed to serving the people through diplomacy. In the future， the Chinese foreign service members will rally even more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. We will make utmost efforts to ensure the success of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games and stay committed to promoting the steady growth of China-US relations. Furthermore， we will take proactive steps to tackle many challenges in the post-COVID era， push for the Global Development Initiative， expand and deepen global partnerships， firmly safeguard China’s core interests， and continue to strive for the goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind， to make more significant contributions to our country and the world.

China’s Foreign Aid against the Background of the COVID-19 Pandemic

LUO Zhaohui

Foreign aid is the best platform to practice the concept of “embracing the world”. Over the past 70 years， China’s foreign aid work has been guided by Marxist internationalist theory， adhering to Chinese characteristics and the attribute of South-South cooperation. As a result， we have been actively cooperating with the West while upholding the spirit of struggle， making significant achievements and accumulating valuable experience. Against the backdrop of China’s unstoppable revitalization and the international landscape of rising in the east and falling in the West， China will take on more international responsibilities， shoulder higher expectations from developing countries， and face more significant challenges from the West. And foreign aid has become an essential grip to promote community with a shared future for mankind. In 2022， China’s foreign aid will continue to lead the international anti-pandemic cooperation with head-of-state diplomacy as the top priority， focus on people’s livelihoods to promote economic recovery after the pandemic， help to build the Green Silk Road， and promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on a multilateral platform.

People-to-people Diplomacy Assists Major Country Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era

WANG Chao

China’s people-to-people diplomacy， which has shown its distinctive advantages in practice， is a beneficial supplement to official diplomacy and plays an irreplaceable and strategic role in the process of the great renewal of the Chinese nation. In recent years， the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs （CPIFA） has adhered to the concept of “making friends for the country”. Combined with the actual work， the CPIFA summarized in depth the theory of people-to-people diplomacy under the leadership of the CPC， and actively carried out new practices of nongovernmental exchanges. As a result， the CPIFA has helped increase exchanges and interactions between China and the outside world， enhanced mutual knowledge and understanding， and truly brought peoples’ hearts and minds together. Thus， the CPIFA plays a unique role in supporting overall diplomacy and promoting practical cooperation. Standing at the new starting point of achieving the second centenary goal， the CPIFA will firmly concentrate on the central tasks of the CPC and China’s overall diplomacy， constantly push forward the theoretical and practical innovation of people-to-people diplomacy， and strive to make new progress in the new era in the aspects of better telling the stories of China， safeguarding national interests， and promoting friendship among peoples. Under the leadership of the CPC， China’s people-to-people diplomacy will surely sparkle with new vitality along with the development of the era.

Actively Breaking New Ground in People-to-people Diplomacy in the New Era

LIN Songtian

People-to-people diplomacy is the fundamental work to enhance peoples’ friendship and promote the development of international relations， and it is an essential part of a country’s overall diplomacy. Since its establishment， the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries （CPAFFC）， under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee， has established a platform to connect five continents and interact at home and abroad. These rich resources have laid a solid foundation for the development of people-to-people diplomacy in the new era. Since the 18th Party Congress， we have adhered to Xi Jinping’s diplomatic thinking as our guide， actively promoted the Association’s transformation from a “doer” to a “planner” and a “momentum builder”， and completed the overall framework design of new orientation， new ideas， new layout， new pattern and new measures. Moreover， the CPAFFC strived to solve the “four problems” of having a place to talk， someone to talk， someone to listen and someone to believe， promoted international friendship cities in the new era with high quality and created a series of brand activities and demonstration sites of friendly cooperation with China. In the future， we will continue our efforts to play the “three major roles” of the Association in leading people-to-peole diplomacy， serving as the mainstay of public diplomacy and the bridge to city diplomacy， to build international consensus on the community of shared future for mankind， to enhance people-to-people and heart-to-heart contact between China and the outside world， to advance the themes of the times featuring peace， development and win-win cooperation， to better tell the stories of China， and to strengthen their cohesiveness of friendship with China.

A Few Thoughts on China-US Relations

CUI Tiankai

The changes in China-US relations are a pivotal part of the world’s unprecedented changes in the past century. As for the game between China and the United States， we must first “establish correct views of history， the overall situation and the role of the players” and see which side of history is correct and in which direction human progress is heading. At the same time， we should look far ahead， start early， get well prepared， and actively grasp the strategic initiative. We should also understand and plan China-US relations in the context of the overall strategic situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Meanwhile， We should always bear in mind the principle of “upholding the people’s supremacy”. We should be sober minded and fully prepared， resolutely safeguard national sovereignty， security and development interests， and safeguard the overall strategic situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Furthermore， in our external work， we should also give better and more effective play to the role of Chinese excellent traditional culture， show its unique charm， and achieve the effect of moistening things silently.

The “Two Establishments” are the Fundamental Guarantee for Further Achievements of China’s Diplomacy

RUAN Zongze

The “Two Establishments” are the significant achievements of the Communist Party of China in uniting and leading the people of all ethnic groups in the country to march forward on the new journey of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation， and are of decisive significance to advancing the historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. As far as major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics is concerned， the “Two Establishments” are valuable experience for China’s diplomacy to keep upright and innovative， to scientifically grasp the evolution trend of the world pattern， and to solve the difficult problems of the times. They are also the fundamental guarantee for China’s diplomacy to carry forward the past and forge ahead into the future on the new journey， to create a favorable international environment for building a new development pattern， to maintain strategic initiative in the chaotic international situation， to lead global change and to make further achievements.

Common Values of All Mankind： Theoretical Connotation， Characteristics and Paths of Promotion

XING Liju & YAN Chuanruolan

The Common Values of All Mankind are universal values proposed by Xi Jinping on the basis of Marxist theory， focusing on the context of globalization and the common interests of all mankind. They are rooted in the excellent traditional Chinese culture and the realities of socialism with Chinese characteristics. They also surpass western “universal value” by featuring with successive， innovative， inclusive， up-to-date， and advanced characteristics. In order to carry forward the Common Values of All Mankind， China should strive to build a community with a shared future for mankind and a new type of international relations， promote the reforms of the global governance system and the construction of “the Belt and Road”， and facilitate mutual exchange among civilizations.

The EU-US Policy Coordination toward China： New Trends and Future Prospects

YAN Shaohua

With the continued rise of China and the transformation of China policies of the US and the EU， China has topped the agenda in transatlantic relations. To address the rise of China and renew the transatlantic relationship， the EU and the US have enhanced their consultations on China， seeking to build broader consensus and pursue a more coordinated approach towards China in crucial areas of ideology， trade， technology and global governance. Compared with the earlier stage， the current EU-US coordination on China is more institutionalized and more comprehensive， with the US no longer in a dominant position. In the process of coordination， there has been certain consensus of European and American policies towards China， but divergences have also been revealed.The differences between Europe and the United States on cognition and policy towards China， the EU’s tendency of “Strategic Autonomy” and the influence of the “Trumpism” legacy will restrict the depth and effect of EU-US coordination.The interconnectedness of the current international system and China’s peaceful development path have determined that the US and the EU will not succeed in a Cold War-style containment strategy against China. “Peaceful co-existence” should be a basic principle for EU-US coordination and China-US-EU trilateral relations.

The Impacts of Brexit on EU-US Relationship

ZHANG Bei

Brexit is not only a major political event in Britain and an important node in the development of European integration， but also has an important impact on transatlantic relationship. Before Brexit， the UK occupied a unique position in EU-US relations， serving as a necessary bridge between the two and shaping the EU in a way that suited the US interests. However， Brexit has profoundly changed the EU， driving internal power structure shifts and policy adjustments. It will also change how EU and the US interact with each other and pose new challenges to the evolving transatlantic relationship. In the unfolding of “Great Changes Unseen in a Century”， the transatlantic relationship is undergoing profound adjustments， and Brexit has become a critical internal variable in this process.

Value-based Diplomacy： The Diplomatic Axis of the New German Government？

XIONG Wei & JIANG Hao

The value-based diplomacy proposed by Germany’s new government is the continuation and inheritance of the same policy initiated by the Merkel government. It is an inevitable result of Germany’s successful transformation of identity as a postmodern and post-nation state. Germany’s domestic political environment， the transformation of international order and positive incentives of Merkel’s practice of value-based diplomacy will promote the new German government to accelerate value-based diplomacy with German characteristics. However， Germany’s value-based diplomacy， which brings both opportunities and challenges to developing China-German relations， is not entirely equivalent to “ideology-based diplomacy”. In the future， in view of the? value-based diplomacy in the new German government’s China policy， China should， on the basis of adhering to the “red line”， focus on the positive side， clarify the common ground of the two sides in the rules and systems of multilateralism， and strive for mutual cooperation to shape a more inclusive international order.