"China makes good friends with neighboring countries and maintains harmony with them." The nation has taken a stronger interest in the comprehensive approach to secure pragmatic cooperation with neighboring countries against a backdrop of the current global economic crisis. And it is indeed actively advancing its relations with them, fairly and appropriately handles regional hotspot issues, and working together to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
Although the East Asia Summit (EAS) scheduled originally for early April was postponed because of the political turmoil in Pattaya, Thailand, the Chinese government, however, announced instantly a rescue package to work with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in coping with financial crisis. This package includes, among others, setting up a China-ASEAN Fund on Investment Cooperation totaling 10 billion US dollars and providing 15 billion dollars in credit of the ASEAN in three to five years to be used on cooperative items between China and ASEAN nations.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted nuclear tests in May with an ensuing great uproar being touched off around the world. The Chinese government is in firm opposition to the tests and in support to "an appropriate and balanced reaction" from the United Nations Security Council to the DPRK nuclear tests. China also adopts a responsible and constructive attitude in discussions of the U.N. Security Council on relevant resolutions, so as to help resolve the issue peacefully through consultation and dialogue.
Since early this year, China has "properly handled East China Sea and South China Sea disputes" with neighboring countries. Moreover, China and Vietnam have completed their demarcation of their land border. In the meantime, the Chinese Foreign Ministry established the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs on March 1, in order to better serve diplomacy with neighboring countries.
China's influence in the (Asia-Pacific) region has increasingly strengthened and enhanced, and this gives scope to leveraging its soft power, acknowledged an ace scholar at the New American Foundation.
The first standalone summit meeting of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) leaders convened on June 17 at Russia's Ural city of Yekaterinburg, and this summit with a span of only five hours succeeded in turning the economic term of BRIC into a viable and realistic platform on economic cooperation.
As a big developing nation, China attaches great importance to an all-round cooperation with developing economies, and has scored new, continuous achievements its traditional friendship, unity and cooperation with them. And a new chapter has opened especially in cooperation between China and Africa, which has the highest concentration of developing countries.
New headway has been made in the implementation of the eight policy measures announced by the Chinese government to enhance its programmatic cooperation with Africa. Youth volunteers and senior agricultural experts from China have been working assiduously on the continent ever since their arrival. By the end of April, China had trained more than 11,000 African professionals.
On the other side of the Pacific Ocean, Latin American nations, too, have forged links with China for a win-win end. China is expected to raise for Venezuela 12 billion dollars through financing as against its planned six-billion dollars. Its State Development Bank arranged for Brazilian oil financial gathering Petrobras to provide 10 billion dollars in the 2008/2012 period. The People's Bank of China signed a 70 billion yuan/38 billion peso currency swap agreement with the Central Bank of Argentina Republic.
Consequently, China has coordinated its stances and appeals with developed economies, newly emerged countries as well as developing nations through multi-avenues and varied ways, according to Xue Lei, a research fellow of the Shanghai Institute for International Studies. So, Chinese diplomacy can be said to have entered an era of an all-round development with comprehensive advances.
In another development, after Air France AF447 flight crashed into the Atlantic on June 1, China's Foreign Ministry immediately launched an emergency mechanism, and opened up a hotline round the clock to closely follow developments in research and rescue operation in a bid to assist the victims'families and relevant parties in disposing of remaining problems properly.
Chinese nationals and enterprises residing overseas have multiplied their demands and requests over recent years, and the "diplomacy for people" been turned into a concrete action. So, by the end of May, the Foreign Ministry website had released more than 100 online advices or suggestions as part of its effort to cater to the needs of ordinary people. On the eve of May fourth, or the Chinese Youth Day, about 100 college students visited the Ministry and had face-to-face talks with leading Ministry officials.
Noting that the Chinese diplomacy has turned increasingly transparent and much closer to commoners, say analysts, the concept of "diplomacy for people" has carved into the "bone marrow" of China's foreign affairs work. Hence, Chinese diplomacy is truly the people's diplomacy and people will always be the cornerstone and strong backing of China's diplomatic work.
Looking ahead, as the international situation will hopefully undergo more in-depth, complex adjustments and great changes in the years ahead, Chinese diplomacy would embark on a new journey with confident and steady strides in an effort to seize new opportunities and meet new challenges.
By People's Daily Online
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