China eyes bigger global role with Chinese solutions
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E-mail Xinhua, March 9, 2015
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi gives a press conference for the third session of China's 12th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 8, 2015. [Photo by Dong Ning/China.org.cn] |
China on Sunday pledged to play a bigger role in international affairs while stressing its commitment to peace and justice by advancing win-win cooperation and common development.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi highlighted old Chinese wisdom and modern approaches in the country's diplomacy at a press conference on the sidelines of the national legislature annual session.
The top Chinese diplomat took an array of questions on subjects ranging from China's relations with the United States and Russia, to a military parade it will stage to mark the victory in World War II and the situation on the Korean Peninsula and warring northern Myanmar.
PARTNERSHIP, NOT ALLIANCE
The minister said China's diplomacy in 2015, with two main themes of peace and development, will focus on making progress in the "Belt and Road" infrastructure initiatives.
China has said on many occasions that the initiatives, proposed by President Xi Jinping to upgrade cooperation between countries in Asia, Europe and Africa, are not exclusive and not a tool of geopolitics like the Marshall Plan.
Wang turned to a musical metaphor, "The initiatives are not a solo for China, but a symphony performed by all the countries involved."
The hallmark of Chinese diplomacy with major countries is win-win cooperation, he said.
It includes upholding an independent foreign policy of peace and equality among all countries, he said, adding that these ideas originate from Chinese traditions and reflect the socialist principle.
He said China is blazing a new diplomatic path of "making partners rather than allies."
China has established formal economic partnerships with more than 70 countries and many regional organizations.
While advocating that the current international order needs to be updated, Wang said his country has "no intention of overturning it or starting all over again," 70 years after the end of WWII and the founding of the United Nations.
"It is very important to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries which are in the majority of the world," he said.
The minister promised to work with other countries to increase cooperation in combating cross-border corruption, an extension of the anti-graft declaration adopted during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings last year in Beijing.
MICROSCOPE, TELESCOPE
On relations between China and the United States, Wang said the world's two biggest economies should not "magnify problems through a microscope," but instead "use a telescope to look ahead to the future."
He said that President Xi's scheduled visit to the United States in September will inject "new momentum" into one of the world's most important partnerships.
The minister also noted that Beijing and Washington, as they exert "pioneering efforts" to build a new model of major-country relations, will encounter obstacles along the path, calling for more trust between them.
With Russia under Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis, Wang said that China's relations with Russia will not be affected by "international vicissitudes" and are not aimed at any third party.
The two countries, with a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, will prioritize cooperation in areas including railways, finance and oil and gas.
Meanwhile, Wang said China will cooperate more with Africa on industrialization, sanitation and security and peace. It will also liaise with India to facilitate settlement of the boundary issue.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of China's victory in the Chinese people's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. Uncertainties overshadow ties between China and Japan, with territorial and historical disputes being far from resolved.
Wang, a former Chinese envoy to Japan, asked Japanese politicians to use their sense of conscience in judging history 70 years after Japan lost the war.
China is planning commemorative events, including a military parade, to mark the 70th anniversary and will invite foreign leaders to China for the commemorations.
China welcomes the participation of "anyone who is sincere about coming," Wang said.
"By staging those commemorations, China will expand its convergence with other peace-loving countries and peoples," said Prof. Gong Fangbin at the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army.
MEDICINE, SOLUTIONS
With its growing presence worldwide and increasingly interwoven interests in some regions, China has been seeking to address global hotspot issues by "putting forward Chinese solutions."
"The most striking feature of China's diplomacy last year was its activeness," said Zhang Yunling, an international studies specialist who is also a member of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. "It matches China's role as a major player in the world."
Over the past year, China, which has been following the principle of non interference with internal affairs of other countries, mediated on a host of regional issues, including in Afghanistan, Iran and South Sudan.
"When approaching a hotspot issue, we first need to take the pulse, adopt an objective and impartial attitude, and understand where the issue has come from and establish conceptions based on facts," said Minister Wang, taking a metaphor from traditional Chinese medicine.
He pledged to follow a multi-pronged approach that seeks a political settlement addressing the concerns of all involved, rather than resorting to the use of force or sanctions.
The minister also urged stability in the conflict-hit northern Myanmar and called for calmness and restraint as the situation on the Korean Peninsula entered another delicate period.
Wang said that China would properly handle regional conflicts and advocate dialogue between cultures, religions and ethnic groups to counter terrorism, which was called by him as a "common scourge to mankind."
The minister defended China's construction on South China Sea islands and reefs, saying the move is lawful and justified.
