Xi seeks new outlook on foreign affairs

Xi Jinping put forward requirements on expanding and broadening the agenda of China's diplomatic strategy under new conditions. He stressed that "we should promote neighborhood diplomacy, turn China's neighborhood areas into a community of common destiny, continue to follow the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in conducting neighborhood diplomacy, promote friendship and partnership with our neighbors, foster an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood environment, and boost win-win cooperation and connectivity with our neighbors."

"We should manage well relations with other major countries, build a sound and stable framework of major-country relations, and expand cooperation with other major developing countries," Xi said. "We should strengthen unity and cooperation with other developing countries and closely integrate our own development with the common development of other developing countries."

"We should advance multilateral diplomacy, work to reform the international system and global governance, and increase the representation and say of China and other developing countries."

Xi said, "We should step up results-oriented cooperation, actively advance the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, work hard to expand the converging interests of various parties, and promote win-win cooperation through results-oriented cooperation."

"We should truly uphold justice and pursue shared interests and do a good job in providing foreign aid. We should protect China's overseas interests and continue to improve our capacity to provide such protection."

Xi Jinping pointed out that to fully advance China's diplomacy under new conditions, "we must enhance the central and unified leadership of the Party, reform and improve institutions and mechanisms concerning foreign affairs, step up their coordination among different sectors, government bodies and localities, increase strategic input, ensures well-regulated foreign affairs management, and strengthen the ranks of official managing foreign affairs, so as to provide strong support for opening new horizon in China's diplomacy."

Li Keqiang pointed out when presiding over the meeting that General Secretary Xi Jinping's important and well-focused address provides important guidance for conducting China's diplomacy both in the current stage and in time to come. All local governments and government bodies should gain a thorough understanding of the address, act in accordance with it and be guided by the decision of the central Party leadership in both thinking and action.

"To this end, we must base ourselves on China's national condition of being in the preliminary stage of socialism and of being a major developing country, work hard to maintain and make good use of the period of strategic opportunity for China's development and conduct diplomacy in the interest of building a society of initial prosperity in all respects and meeting the strategic goal of achieving the great renewal of the Chinese nation," Li said.

"We must strive to build socialism with distinctive Chinese features, give top priority to economic development, manage our own affairs well, continue to enhance China's economic competitiveness, cultural influence and overall strength and provide strong support for achieving the strategic goal of China's diplomacy."

"We must continue to pursue both an independent foreign policy of peace and peaceful development, uphold international justice, work for greater democracy in international relations, promote mutual benefits, advance economic diplomacy, jointly address multiple global challenges, promote the progress of human civilization and continue to open up new horizon in China's diplomacy," said Li.

State Councilor Yang Jiechi, who made a summary report of the conference, said that General Secretary Xi Jinping's important address, which embodies the central Party leadership's latest creative achievement in diplomatic theory and practices, is of great significance in guiding China's diplomacy in both the current stage and in time to come.

"We should gain a full understanding of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important address and act on it."

"We should have a keen appreciation of the new environment, tasks and requirements facing China's diplomacy, be guided by this important address in thinking, understanding and action and continuously enhance our ability to handle complex international affairs," Yang said. "All government bodies and local governments should truly act in accordance with this important address, encourage all parties to get actively involved in carrying out foreign exchange and endeavor to make new progress in conducting China's diplomacy."

Leading officials from the CPC International Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Culture, Information Office of the State Council, Headquarters of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, Zhejiang Province and the Chinese Embassy in the United States spoke at the conference.

The conference was attended by members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, members of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, relevant leading officials of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, state councilors, president of the Supreme People's Court, procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, relevant leading officials of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and members of the Central Military Commission.

The conference was participated by the following officials: leading officials from provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities under direct jurisdiction of the central government as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, cities separately listed in the state plan, relevant central Party, government and military departments and some enterprises and financial institutions under the direct management of the central government, as well as Chinese ambassadors and consuls-general with ambassadorial rank posted overseas, Chinese representatives to international organizations and commissioners of the Foreign Ministry to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region.