23 Feb, 2013

Diplomacy to Help China become Global Power

People's Daily Online

February 20, 2013 – Cai Run, director of policy planning of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs came to the Qiangguo Forum of People’s Daily Online to have an online communication with the netizens on Tuesday. During the communication, he talked about how diplomacy can help China become global power.

Every country in the world has its own internal logic as well as general rules in their way to becoming a global power. China is no exception.

As a big country marching on socialist road with its own characteristics, China’s rise as a world power will definitely not only reflect the general rules but also has its own distinctive characteristics and deep brand of the times. China will embark on a new path. I think China will rely on the following three aspects to become a world power.

First, China must focus on its own affairs well, and keep improving its comprehensive national strength. This is the material base for it to become a world power. We will be more capable to get on well with other countries and more qualified to make greater contributions to the peace and development of the world after our national strength is enhanced.

Second, we should rely on our policy advantage. China peruses an independent foreign policy of peace, takes the road of peaceful development, advocates win-win cooperation, adheres to principles, justice, and treats people equally. China’s diplomacy corresponds to the trend of world development and is widely welcomed by the international community, which has always been a decisive factor.

Third, China should rely on the help and support from our surrounding countries as well as the great majority of developing nations. China has 14 neighbors on land and eight across the sea. China owns 22,000 kilometer long land borderline and 18,000 kilometer long coastline. On one hand, this determines that China is one of the countries with the most complicated geopolitical environment. On the other hand we should see that if we keep good relationship with our neighboring countries, these countries can be of great support to us. Compared with other major powers, this is our unique advantage.

China is the largest developing country. Solidarity and cooperation with other developing countries is valuable asset and solid foundation for China’s diplomacy.

Besides, China needs to promote its soft power, enhance its affinity and charisma.

Therefore, becoming a world power depends on its comprehensive quality instead of any single factor. Our road to a stronger China will not be easy. There is a long way to go. As long as we go forward unswervingly along the right path, the Chinese dream will surely be achieved.

Q: Some said the U.S. is now trying to constrain China, so a war between the two countries is inevitable. Do you think it is possible that we can build a new type of relations between big powers?

A: Great power relations is an extremely important part of international relations, it plays an irreplaceable role in the peace and development of the world and also is a vital role in China’s overall diplomacy layout. When we talk about building a steady and healthy long-term relation between great powers, it refers to a win-win relationship full of respect, cooperation and without confrontation and conflicts.

Promoting the establishment of new relations among major powers has a solid realistic conditions and possibility rather than mere subjective desire. In this world featuring multi-polarization, economic globalization, cultural diversity and in-depth development of social information, the relations of the countries are increasingly interdependent and gradually form into a global village where “There was a bit of me in you and a bit of you in me “.

With the national interests merging increasingly, only win-win cooperation that helps each other is the right way to deal with each other.

Some people in the West cling to the Cold War mentality and advocate the great power conflicts, which reflect their deep-seated ideological bias. This approach runs counter to the trend of the times, so there is no way out. The mankind has experienced the pain through two world wars and the Cold War, and the hegemony of the major countries has also left us with painful lessons. The international community has reason to be smarter than ever to view and handle the relationships.

As the world’s largest developing country and the largest developed country, China and the United States share a relationship that is far beyond the bilateral scope and has an increasingly important global influence and strategic significance. The harmony between the two countries will benefit them, and vice versa. China and the U.S. should make joint efforts to get on a road of a new type of relations between big powers, because this not only conforms to the interests of the two countries, but also has a significant influence on peace and development of the world.

As long as the two sides firmly stick to the correct direction for the development of bilateral relations, work together to enhance strategic mutual trust, deepen pragmatic cooperation and endeavor to carry dialogues and cooperation rather than conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region, China and the U.S. should be able to establish a new type of relations between big powers. In terms of Sino-U.S. relations, it should be noted that it is important to properly handle the problems and differences, truly respect each other’s core interests. The U.S. should properly deal with issues concerning Taiwan and Tibet, remove the obstacles for the healthy and stable development of Sino-U.S. relations

China and the U.S. working together to build a new type of relations between big powers is a pioneering undertaking which would not be without difficulties and challenges. I remember a slogan saying “The stage is as big as what one wants”. As long as the two sides have broad minds, mutual respects, active attitudes on cooperation, and consider the relationship with each other in the world situation, it is entirely possible to get on a road of a new type of relations between big powers.