Speaking of Chinese style of diplomacy, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday reiterated that China has no intention to compete for hegemony and meddle in other countries’ internal affairs, or export its systems and development modes, let alone seek the so-called sphere of influence.
In recent years, China’s diplomatic style is increasingly more confident as China’s comprehensive strength continues to grow and China plays an increasingly important role on the international stage.
Chinese diplomats are brave to more calmly and equally face praise and provocations from their Western counterparts and actively communicate with them. But the West has become uncomfortable and is willfully using the term “wolf warrior diplomacy” to accuse China of acting more “aggressively” and hyping its “nationalism.”
“There are various comments about the style and direction of China’s diplomacy. What I want to say is that China has always pursued an independent foreign policy of peace and is willing to conduct friendly cooperation with other countries based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.
China always has the original aspiration of contributing to the happiness of the Chinese people and the progress of humanity, and seeks to play a constructive role in the cause of world peace and development,” Wang said during a video meeting with the US Asia Society.
Wang noted that China’s diplomacy is committed to serving development. China is still a developing country. Through tireless efforts, this year all poverty-stricken counties and all rural impoverished people in China have been lifted out of poverty.
The Chinese nation solved the problem of absolute poverty for the first time in its thousands of years of history which has also made great contributions to the cause of poverty eradication for humanity.
At the same time, China still has a long way to go before consolidating the achievements in poverty alleviation and achieve common prosperity for all Chinese people, Wang said, adding that diplomacy is an extension of the internal affairs, which should always serve the overall needs of China’s development and the new development pattern.
China’s diplomacy pursues a win-win strategy, which has been fully demonstrated by the 40-plus years’ development history of reform and opening-up in China, in which enterprises and countries that have cooperated with China have realized common development and prosperity together with China, Wang noted.
Such diplomacy is more sustainable and popular. China is willing to open up on a wider scale, at a higher and deeper level to share opportunities and dividends with other countries, achieving win-win development, Wang said.
Wang stressed that China’s diplomacy firmly upholds fairness. As a nation that had suffered humiliation in its history, China has a deeper appreciation of the value of fairness.
“We always believe that all countries, no matter big or small, strong or weak, should be equal members of the international community, and have an equal right to development. Developing countries cannot stay at the low end of the industrial and value chains forever,” Wang said.
Global affairs should be handled by all countries through equal consultations, and international rules should be set by all countries on an equal footing, Wang said.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi file photo: Xinhua
