Head-of-state diplomacy sets pace for China's overall diplomatic work: FM

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday that the head-of-state diplomacy has been immensely successful with one significant event after another and has set the pace for China's overall diplomatic work, which can be highlighted as one home-ground event, two major initiatives, and three important visits.

The remarks were made by Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, while addressing a symposium on the international situation and China's foreign relations in 2022. The symposium was co-hosted by the China Institute of International Studies and the China Fund of International Studies in Beijing.

Noting the home-ground event is the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Wang said with the concerted efforts of China and the international community, the Games were a resounding success.

The opening ceremony brought together 31 heads of state, government, and international organizations from five continents who joined us in the celebration of the Games, Wang said.

"The international community has experienced a China that is more confident, striving, open and inclusive. The Beijing rendezvous on ice and snow marked a new milestone in the endeavor of the peoples across the world to embrace new hopes and pursue a shared future together," he added.

Wang said the two major initiatives are the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI). In April this year, President Xi Jinping unveiled the GSI at the Boao Forum for Asia, offering a Chinese proposal for addressing global security challenges and achieving durable peace and security in the world.

"The international community responded to the GSI favorably. In a matter of six months, over 70 countries have expressed endorsement and support of the initiative," noted Wang.

Wang also said as the chair of the first High-level Dialogue on Global Development held in June on the margins of a BRICS Summit, President Xi announced 32 major measures China would take to implement the GDI, and an open-ended pool of GDI projects and the Global Development Promotion Center were created.

To date, more than 100 countries and a number of international organizations, including the United Nations, have committed support to the GDI, and close to 70 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI, according to Wang.

Wang said the three major visits refer to those made by President Xi from September to December, the first of its kind since the COVID-19 outbreak. They include the Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Samarkand, the G20 Summit in Bali and the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Bangkok, and the first China-Arab States Summit and the China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Riyadh.

"In the period before and after the 20th CPC National Congress, President Xi Jinping attended five multilateral summits and held bilateral meetings with leaders of more than 40 countries, creating three peaks for head-of-state diplomacy this year and making a good start to the work of the CPC's new collective central leadership in China's foreign affairs," Wang added.