China’s Diplomacy in the Xi Era
The Chinese government hasn’t identified the geographic scope of “neighboring countries.” However, it is clear from the implementation of diplomatic policies by previous administrations that “neighboring” is not simply a geographic concept. Expanding China’s influence to developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and realizing common development and prosperity is deemed a key aspect of China’s foreign policy by its new leaders. During his visit to four Central Asian nations in September 2013, President Xi first proposed jointly building a Silk Road economic belt. During his trip to Indonesia and Malaysia the next month he proposed the 21st century Maritime Silk Road. The two overtures not only enrich the connotation of China’s neighborhood diplomacy and push relevant work towards deeper and wider development, but also provide new cooperation mechanisms for China’s economic and cultural exchanges with Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and even Europe.
New Model of China-U.S. Relations
The China-U.S. relationship is always of paramount significance in China’s foreign diplomacy. Although the two countries have different values in regard to democracy and human rights, how the world’s two biggest economies get along with each other affects not only their bilateral relations, but also the development of humanity. Therefore, the old model of suspicion, confrontation and conflict between established and rising great powers is obviously not suitable for China-U.S. relations. The two big nations must build a new type of relationship to avoid the Thucydides’ trap, in which the ancient Greek historian believed war was inevitable between an existing power and an emerging one.
It was during the second round of China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue in May 2010 that Dai Bingguo, then state councilor, first proposed building a new model of China-U.S. relations. Dai said that China and the U.S. should build relations featuring mutual respect, harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation between countries of different social systems and cultural traditions and at different development stages in the era of globalization. Chinese state leaders have gone on to expound on this on various occasions. In November 2012, then Chinese President Hu Jintao said in his report to the 18th National Congress of the CPC that China will strive to establish a new type of relations of long-term stability and sound growth with other major countries; this has become an important factor of China’s diplomacy.
Since Xi Jinping became president he has developed the concept of building a new type of China-U.S. relations. He had three meetings with President Obama, in June and September 2013 and March 2014, each time talking about this new model of relations between the two countries. Xi’s interpretation is that of “no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.” This indicates China’s intention to properly manage disputes and differences with the U.S. and realize long-term China-U.S. cooperation. However, one question remains: Can the same change in affairs be applied to China-Japan relations, which have been troubled by security dilemmas and historical disputes?
Build China into a Maritime Power
At the 18th National Congress of the CPC in November 2012 China first proposed that efforts be made to enhance the capacity for exploiting marine resources, develop the marine economy, protect the marine ecological environment, resolutely safeguard China’s maritime rights and interests, and build the country into a maritime power. In July 2013, during the eighth group study of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, President Xi stressed that building China into a maritime power was an important component of building socialism with Chinese characteristics and of great significance to promoting sustained and healthy economic development, safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, realizing the goal of building a moderately prosperous society and achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Alongside the fast development of the Chinese economy, China has become more reliant on foreign energy, mineral resources and grains. The Chinese economy has been exposed to greater influence of the international economic situation. Meanwhile, China’s overseas interests have enjoyed an increasingly important status in China’s diplomacy. In order to guarantee economic security, promote international influence and ensure the supply of foreign energy and mineral resources, it is an inevitable move for China to step up its oceanic development.
However, the strategy of building China into a maritime power doesn’t mean China will prioritize naval clout. On the contrary, the strategy focuses more on exploiting marine resources, cultivating the marine economy and developing advanced oceanic technologies. That shows the Chinese leaders’ resolution to make the marine economy a pillar of the national economy.
President Xi has called for enhanced capacity for exploiting marine resources, promoting the quality and efficiency of China’s marine economy, expanding the scope of oceanic development and cultivating the marine economy into a new engine of ecomic growth. Meanwhile, more efforts should be made to enhance the planning and guidance of marine industries and to incubate strategic and emerging ocean industries, so increasing their contributions to economic growth and making them a pillar of the national economy. Some people in the international community are worried that China’s maritime power strategy presages China’s building itself into a globally influential sea power just like the U.S. That is a complete misapprenhension.
