Author: Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan, Founding Chair GSRRA, Sinologist, Diplomat, Editor, Analyst, Consultant, Advisor, and Non-Resident Fellow of CCG. (E-mail: awanzamir@yahoo.com).
President Xi Jin Ping, born on 15 June 1953, is also Secretary-General of Communist Party of China (CPC), and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), is one of the most popular leader in the history of China. Chairman Mao, the founder of People’s Republic of China and the Reformer leader Deng Xiao Ping are the two other most popular leaders in China. President Xi, due to his unique personality and visionary leadership is also emerged a global leader. His global approach and global initiatives were taken by the international community warmly. Many global leaders are his fan and replicating his policies in their own countries to achieve high-development goals same as China.
Below are some of significant takeaways from his diplomacy throughout the year 2023.
FOSTERING COOPERATION WITH MAJOR COUNTRIES
On March 20, Xi embarked on a state visit to Russia. This was his first trip abroad after his reelection as Chinese president. He described this trip as a journey of friendship, cooperation and peace. Noting that China and Russia are each other's biggest neighbor, Xi said that consolidating and developing long-term good-neighborly relations with Russia is consistent with historical logic and a strategic choice of China, which will not be changed by any turn of events. In the first 11 months of this year, the bilateral trade between China and Russia achieved the annual trade volume target of 200 billion U.S. dollars jointly set by the two heads of state, which shows the strong resilience and broad prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.
On July 20, Xi met with former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who made his final visit to China four months before passing away at the age of 100. The meeting took place at Villa 5 of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, the venue where Kissinger had met with Premier Zhou Enlai during his first visit to China. Kissinger will always be remembered and missed by the Chinese people, Xi said in a message of condolences to U.S. President Joe Biden on the death of the statesman.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden on Nov. 15 had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on strategic and overarching issues critical to the direction of China-U.S. relations and on major issues affecting world peace and development. The captivating China-U.S. summit took place on Nov. 15 at Filoli Estate, a country house south of San Francisco. During the four-hour-long meeting, the Chinese president noted that being at the helm of China-U.S. relations, he and President Biden shoulder heavy responsibilities for the two peoples, for the world and for history.
The two presidents agreed to promote and strengthen bilateral dialogue and cooperation in such areas as China-U.S. government talks on AI and the establishment of a working group on counter narcotics cooperation. They agreed to resume high-level communication between the two militaries, work toward a significant further increase in scheduled passenger flights early next year, and expand various bilateral exchanges in education, overseas students, youth, culture, sports and between the business communities.
Xi also had frequent exchanges with European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Amid the increasingly turbulent international situation, the China-EU relationship has strategic significance and implications for global peace, stability and prosperity, said Xi when meeting with the EU leaders in Beijing in December.
STANDING WITH DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Most of the foreign dignitaries Xi met were from developing countries, reflecting China's diplomatic principle that all countries, big or small, are equal. During his state visit to South Africa from Aug. 21 to 24, Xi co-chaired with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue. Xi announced China's three initiatives on supporting Africa's industrialization, agricultural modernization and talent development.
Xi also attended the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, where six countries were invited to become new BRICS members. Xi said that the BRICS expansion is historic and a new starting point for BRICS cooperation. He stressed that the expansion reflects the resolution of the BRICS countries to unite and cooperate with other developing countries, meets the expectations of the international community, and serves the common interests of emerging markets and developing countries.
On Sept. 21, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games. When meeting with his Syrian counterpart, Xi said China supports Syria in opposing foreign interference, rejecting unilateralism and bullying, and safeguarding national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, adding that China supports Syria in conducting reconstruction.
In addition, Xi hosted in June Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento, the first Honduran president to pay a state visit to China since China and Honduras established diplomatic relations in March. Xi told Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros in September that China supports Venezuela in setting up special economic zones and will share relevant experience to help its national development. Xi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in April witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents on trade and investment, digital economy, scientific and technological innovation and other areas.
GROWING NEIGHBORHOOD DIPLOMACY
‘On May 19, Xi chaired the first China-Central Asia Summit in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, and a new milestone in China-Central Asia relations. Xi said central Asian countries are welcome to board the "express train" of China's development. He made an eight-point proposal for strengthening cooperation, ranging from expanding economic ties to promoting cultural exchanges and safeguarding regional peace.
On Oct. 17, the Chinese and Indonesian heads of state jointly inaugurated the official operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway. It is the first high-speed railway in Southeast Asia, cutting the journey between the two cities from over three hours to around 40 minutes. Noting that the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway is a "golden brand" for the Belt and Road cooperation between the two countries, Xi said China is willing to work with Indonesia to sum up successful experience, make sound efforts in its high-quality operation and foster an economic belt along the railway.
Xi paid a state visit to Vietnam from Dec. 12 to 13, and was received with the highest diplomatic protocol of Vietnam. Both sides agreed to build a China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, a major historic decision made by the leaders of the two parties and countries, as well as the most important political achievement reached by the two sides. Before concluding his visit, Xi noted that what impressed him most was General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong's repeated emphasis that the China-Vietnam bond of "camaraderie plus brotherhood" is the starting point and foundation of the China-Vietnam relationship.
BUILDING A COMMUNITY WITH A SHARED FUTURE FOR HUMANITY
Another landmark in China's diplomacy is mediating talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Both countries agreed to restore diplomatic relations and reopen their embassies and missions within two months after their talks concluded in Beijing on March 10. A joint trilateral statement said the decision for China to host the talks was based on the agreement between Xi and the leaderships of Saudi Arabia and Iran.
During his state visit to Russia in March, Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin had an in-depth exchange of views on the Ukraine issue. Xi stressed that a review of history shows that conflicts in the end have to be settled through dialogue and negotiation. For his part, Putin said Russia has carefully studied China's position paper on the political settlement of the Ukraine issue and is open to talks for peace.
On April 26, Xi spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky over the phone. Xi said China will send a special representative of the Chinese government on Eurasian affairs to visit Ukraine and other countries to conduct in-depth communication with all parties on the political settlement of the crisis. Zelensky welcomed China's important role in restoring peace and seeking diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Xi attended the BRICS extraordinary virtual summit on the Palestinian-Israeli issue on Nov. 21. The Chinese president emphasized that the only viable way to break the cycle of Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in the two-state solution, in the restoration of the legitimate national rights of Palestine, and in the establishment of an independent State of Palestine.
As the Belt and Road Initiative turns 10 years old this year, Xi announced at the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) eight major steps China will take to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The high-profile forum, held in Beijing from Oct. 17 to 18, is the most important diplomatic event hosted by China this year. Over the past decade, Xi has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative in succession, contributing wisdom and strength to building a community with a shared future for humanity.
Due to his extra ordinary efforts for the entire humankind and global vision, he has been gaining recognition in the international community. His vision and ideology to the total welfare of whole human kind is well conceived and gaining momentum. His positive and constructive role in geopolitics marked him a distinguished world leader.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)