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President Xi Jinping says Vietnam is a ‘diplomatic priority’ as Chinese leaders seek closer bilateral ties
President Xi Jinping says Vietnam is a ‘diplomatic priority’ as Chinese leaders seek closer bilateral ties
Speaking at the Central Diplomatic Work Conference, which concluded on Thursday, Xi urged Chinese diplomats and executives to “break new ground,” “unite the overwhelming majority” of the world, and maintain a “fighting spirit.” I urged him to do so.
He said on Friday that the “intensified repression and containment of China by external powers” in recent years had posed “special challenges to diplomatic operations” and was testing China’s envoy.
President Xi described China’s special envoys as defenders of national interests and said they should make good use of multilateral mechanisms and rules to gain the understanding and support of the international community.
“[The envoys] “You must be good at making friends widely and deeply, and winning people’s hearts should be done both in public and deeply among the public,” he said.
“We also need to use international languages and methods to better tell China’s story, connect China with other countries, connect history with the present, and help the world better understand China in a new era. be.”
A real wolf warrior?China strengthens civilian forces to protect overseas interests
A real wolf warrior?China strengthens civilian forces to protect overseas interests
Pan Zhongyin, chair professor of international political economy at Sichuan University, said there was ambiguity in the official wording, making it difficult to assess whether there had been a change in foreign policy.
But highlighting tensions and “bullying” could mean continued tension in China’s relations with the West, Pan said.
He added that the United States, European Union and Britain had sent officials to Beijing over the past year to show goodwill, but the Chinese side had not responded.
Instead, China has emphasized informal meetings with “friends of the United States.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said Friday that Xi “personally reached out to the world to convey China’s history and make friends around the world.”
These personal contacts included meetings in Beijing with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates.
Kissinger met with Xi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in the Chinese capital in July as part of a “personal trip.” This was in stark contrast to visits by U.S. officials around the same time, which ruled out meetings with Chinese leaders.
According to Mao Zedong, while visiting San Francisco for a summit meeting with US President Joe Biden, President Xi “had heart-warming conversations with old friends from various fields” and “delivered a historic address to the American people.” That’s what it means.
On Friday, Xi also called on the envoys to thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the Diplomatic Work Conference, which set out the “goals, direction and guiding principles” for Chinese diplomats.
He said special envoys “must enrich their minds with the party’s innovative theories, sharpen their eyes to distinguish between right and wrong, and always maintain the correct political direction.”
They must “put discipline and rules first” and “build a diplomatic iron army that is loyal to the Party, bravely takes responsibility, fights bravely, and excels in battle.”