Recent years have seen China's increased involvement in multilateral diplomacy, either actively attending multilateral events, or as a trusted host of events such as the 2014 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and 2016 G20 summit.
"It can be said that China has always been in the driver's seat when it comes to multilateral diplomacy," said Aziz Mlima, Permanent Secretary of the Tanzanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He cited China's participation in UN peacekeeping operations, cooperation with other developing countries in the G77, and signing the Paris Agreement on climate change.
China has used multilateral events to voice its ideas on building a world that is more developed, secure and just. It is also working to this end through individual efforts and collaboration with other countries.
"China is transforming from a limited participant in multilateral diplomacy to a proactive supporter and contributor," said Zhu Shuai, a researcher at the China Center for Information Industry Development.
Zhu attributed the transformation to the country's growing strength, constantly changing security environment and the world's rising expectations of China.
CONSTRUCTIVE PROPOSALS
Treating multilateral diplomacy as an important arena of foreign policy, China has at various events offered constructive proposals on topics ranging from international relations to sustainable development, security and climate change.
With the proposals, China seeks to reinforce its role in strengthening international cooperation, maintaining global security and building a fairer and more reasonable international order, said Professor Yang Baoyun, of Thailand's Thammsat University.
In March 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed at the third Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague "a rational, coordinated and balanced" nuclear security concept and called for a global nuclear security system featuring fairness and win-win cooperation.
Later in May, Xi proposed a new concept of Asian security at a summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, stressing common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security to tackle rising challenges facing the region.
In September 2015, he suggested a new type of international relations featuring win-win cooperation, and creating a community of common destiny for mankind when speaking at the annual UN General Assembly high-level debate.
China is the first among world's major countries to set win-win cooperation as its main objective in dealing with ties with other nations, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said.
