Xu Xiujun: The Distinctive Characteristics of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy
In the magnificent journey of advancing the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era, Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy has opened up a new realm of Chinese diplomatic theory and practice. With its distinct national, temporal, populist, universal, and systemic character, it guides foreign affairs work toward continuous historical achievements and provides the fundamental guidance for comprehensively advancing Great Power Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics.
National Character: Fully Activating the Contemporary Value of Fine Traditional Chinese Culture
The national character of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy stems primarily from deep civilizational roots. This thought integrates Chinese national consciousness, culture, belief, value pursuits, and philosophical reflections, fully activating the civilizational value of fine traditional Chinese culture in a new historical era.
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy embodies a humanitarian sentiment of "Great Harmony under Heaven" [1] and "harmony among all nations." Chinese civilization has always advocated for "appreciating the beauty of others to achieve common beauty" [2], "harmonious coexistence," "Great Harmony under Heaven," and "harmony among all nations." General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed the beautiful vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity along with a practical platform for its construction. By taking the maintenance of world peace and the promotion of common development as the core tenets of China’s foreign policy, he has activated the political ideals of ancient sages and demonstrated a humanitarian sentiment that transcends the limitations of time and space.
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy embodies a way of engagement characterized by "valuing harmony" [3] and "harmony without uniformity."
"Harmony" (he) is a distinctive feature of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy and China’s diplomatic practice in the New Era; it is the source of China's diplomatic influence and appeal. In the New Era, China’s increased emphasis on peace, cooperation, and the promotion of a community with a shared future for humanity represents a sublimation of the traditional Chinese concept of he. Simultaneously, Chinese diplomacy advocates for harmony without uniformity (he er bu tong). While pursuing its own development, China promotes the common development of all countries, drawing on each other’s strengths through cooperation to ensure that the people of all nations form a pattern of "extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits."
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy embodies the value pursuit of "the benevolent person loves others" [4] and "placing righteousness above profit." Taking "benevolence" (ren) and "righteousness" (yi) as its value kernel, it emphasizes "fostering benevolence and being good to neighbors" and "universal love and non-aggression" [5] in peripheral diplomacy, advocating and practicing the concept of "amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness." In international relations, it practices the Correct Conception of Righteousness and Profit, insisting on balancing both. It promotes staying true to one's word, valuing friendship, upholding justice, and establishing morality, thus carving out a righteous path of "integrating righteousness and profit" and "using virtue to embrace those from afar."
Temporal Character: Fully Refining the Global Layout of Great Power Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics
The temporal character of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy is primarily reflected in its profound grasp of a brand-new historical coordinate. General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the major judgment that "the world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century," scientifically assessing China's historical position in the New Era. Guided by a correct view of history, the big picture, and China's role, Great Power Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics has been advanced comprehensively, forming an all-dimensional, multi-tiered, and three-dimensional diplomatic layout.
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy profoundly grasps the century of changes in the world. In essence, the current global chaos exists because problems have arisen in development and governance; ultimately, this reflects the fact that the themes of the era—peace and development—have not been well addressed. To this end, Chinese diplomacy in the New Era continues to hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation, and win-win results, promoting the establishment of a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation to advance the noble cause of human peace and development.
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy profoundly grasps China's new developmental landscape. Starting from a historical point of deep interaction with and openness to the world, and conforming to the historical process of China moving toward the world and the world moving toward China, this thought profoundly grasps China’s role and positioning. It views problems by placing China within the context of its relationship with the world, clarifying China's status and role in the evolution of the global landscape to scientifically formulate foreign policies.
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy profoundly grasps the overall situation of Chinese diplomacy. Under its guidance, China actively promotes coordination and positive interaction among major powers, pushing for a framework of major-power relations characterized by peaceful coexistence, overall stability, and balanced development. It adheres to the peripheral diplomacy policy of "amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness" and "building friendships and partnerships with neighbors," deepening friendly mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation with neighboring countries. Upholding the principles of "sincerity, real results, amity, and good faith" and the Correct Conception of Righteousness and Profit, it strengthens solidarity and cooperation with developing countries to safeguard their common interests.
Populist Character: Fully Demonstrating the Unique Charisma of the People’s Leader
The populist character of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy is primarily rooted in the unique personal charisma of the People’s Leader. In foreign affairs, General Secretary Xi Jinping has exerted the strategic leading role of head-of-state diplomacy, leading Chinese diplomacy into a New Era centered on the people. "People first" has become the most vibrant defining feature of Chinese diplomacy.
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy guides Chinese diplomacy in firmly safeguarding the people’s interests. In the New Era, Chinese diplomacy always serves economic development and the improvement of people’s livelihoods, firmly protecting the overseas interests of the Chinese people. Especially in major incidents involving overseas Chinese and compatriots, the Chinese government always stands on the side of protecting the rights and interests of its compatriots, taking active measures to solve problems and winning praise from people worldwide.
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy guides Chinese diplomacy in drawing upon the wisdom of the people. The masses are the source of power for advancing historical progress and the development of the era. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the needs and expectations of the public, collecting opinions and suggestions through various channels and giving full play to grassroots wisdom to provide useful references for foreign policy formulation.
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy guides Chinese diplomacy in comprehensively enhancing friendship among peoples. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, innovatively proposing the Global Civilization Initiative to gather a grand force for progress. Meanwhile, his personal involvement in head-of-state public diplomacy has made the image of a "credible, lovable, and respectable" China more deeply rooted in people's hearts, allowing people of all countries to experience Chinese culture firsthand and enhancing mutual understanding and friendship.
Universal Character: Fully Demonstrating Responsibility for the Whole World
The universal character of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy is primarily manifested in the ambitious pursuit of building a community with a shared future for humanity. Building a community with a shared future for humanity is a major innovation of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, fully demonstrating the global vision and temporal responsibility of Chinese Communists.
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy aggregates the common values of all humanity. General Secretary Xi Jinping actively advocates the common values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom. The global significance of these values lies in promoting mutual understanding and cooperation between different civilizations and countries, providing moral and conceptual support for building a peaceful, just, developing, and prosperous world. Thus, the international community considers it a pointed direction for the collective progress of humanity.
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy enriches global governance solutions. Addressing the increasingly prominent global problems and governance deficits, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposes adhering to true multilateralism, practicing a global governance view of "extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits," and leading the reform of the global governance system with the concepts of equity and justice. Simultaneously, he advocates for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions for the people of all nations to make the right choices at the crossroads of history.
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy has given rise to a series of major global initiatives. The Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative are practical products of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy. As a practical platform for a community with a shared future for humanity, the Belt and Road Initiative encourages countries to join hands to meet challenges and achieve common prosperity, pushing the world toward a bright future of peace, security, prosperity, and progress.
Systemic Character: Fully Permeating a Scientific Methodological System
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy is rich in content and profound in thought. It not only systematically presents General Secretary Xi Jinping's positions and views on advancing Great Power Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics but also profoundly interprets a worldview and methodology with contemporary and Chinese characteristics. It represents the innovative development of the Marxist worldview and methodology.
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy is permeated with a scientific system of thinking. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to systemic thinking, skillfully applying it to the analysis and research of foreign affairs. He repeatedly requires cadres on the diplomatic front to improve various thinking abilities, including strategic, historical, dialectical, systemic, innovative, rule-of-law, and bottom-line thinking, continuously strengthening prospective thinking and holistic planning to clarify diplomatic strategic tasks in a more multi-dimensional and comprehensive manner.
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy is permeated with a scientific system of coordination. General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly pointed out the need to balance all aspects of diplomatic work and to organize and coordinate all parties. On one hand, it coordinates the "two overarching situations"—the domestic and the international—developing China by striving for a peaceful international environment while maintaining and promoting world peace through China's own development. On the other hand, it coordinates the use of "two markets and two resources"—domestic and international—to enhance resource allocation capabilities and increase global influence over the allocation of elements such as capital, information, technology, talent, and goods.
Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy is permeated with a scientific logical system. It is an open and continuously developing theoretical system, reflecting the organic unity of historical, practical, and value logic. In the practice of foreign affairs in the New Era, General Secretary Xi Jinping directly confronts the realistic problems of contemporary China. With a broad theoretical vision and profound theoretical thinking, he has explored and deepened the regular understanding of foreign affairs work, opening up a new realm of the Marxist theory of international social intercourse.
(The author is a researcher at the Institute of Chinese-path Modernization, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences) Source: Guangming Daily February 6, 2025