From June 7 to 8, 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama met at the Sunnylands estate, California. The two presidents had an extensive exchange of views on the bilateral relationship and international and regional issues of mutual concern. This was the first meeting of the two presidents after the two countries completed their latest leadership transitions. It was of extreme significance with respect to enhancing strategic communication and mutual trust, strengthening mutual benefit and cooperation, effectively handling discords, accelerating development of a cooperative partnership and building a new-type relations between major countries.
From March 22 to 24, 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Russia. It was the first stop on his first foreign trip after taking office. China and Russia are each other’s most important strategic partners. The heads of the two countries reached a key consensus on strengthening their all-round strategic cooperation, and signed a joint statement on deepening the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Bilateral trade volume has grown 14-fold in 20 years, reaching US $88.2 billion in 2012. It is expected to hit US $100 billion by 2015.
On March 27, 2013, the Fifth BRICS Summit was held in Durban, South Africa. It was the first time the meeting was held on the African continent. BRICS leaders agreed to establish a new development bank and the contingent reserve arrangement (CRA). Fifteen African heads of state were invited to the event.
From November 3 to 5, 2006, the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Third Ministerial Conference were held in Beijing. Participants included the president of China and heads of state, ministers and representatives from 48 African countries. Chinese President Hu Jintao declared eight measures at the summit to boost practical cooperation between China and Africa. The summit adopted two political documents – the Declaration of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the FOCAC Beijing Action Plan (2007-2009).
From October 15 to 16, 2005, the Seventh G20 Finance Ministers and the Central Bank Governors Meeting was held in Beijing. Under the theme, Global Cooperation: Promoting Balanced and Orderly World Economic Development, the meeting discussed various key global economic issues, reiterating the common target and responsibility of realizing balanced and sustainable development. The G20 was established in 1999. China is one of the founding members.
On November 3, 2004, the first China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) convened in Nanning, China. The CABIS aims to promote comprehensive economic cooperation between China and ASEAN countries, as well as the construction of a free trade zone. As of 2012, the CABIS had held nine sessions, effectively accelerating the comprehensive development of economic cooperation between China and ASEAN countries.
On October 20, 2001, the Ninth Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting was held in Shanghai. Under the theme “Meeting New Challenges in the New Century and Achieving Common Prosperity through Participation and Cooperation,” the participating leaders exchanged opinions on the current world situation, the economic impact of the 9/11 attacks, human resource capability construction, and the future development direction of the APEC. They reached a broad consensus.
On December 11, 2001, China formally joined the World Trade Organization, so becoming its 143rd member. The WTO admission gave China multilateral, stable and unconditional most-favored-nation treatment, and helped it obtain special treatment, such as the GSP (Generalized System of Preferences), as a developing country. The WTO membership is conducive to China’s integration into the global economic system and its realizing market diversity.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), whose member states include China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, was established on June 15, 2001. The organization pursues an external policy of non-alignment, non-interference and openness. It promotes the new security concept at whose core are mutual trust, mutual benefit, equal rights and cooperation.