School where lessons focus on leadership

Elite students

The school's students are the elite, of course. Lower-level officials are trained at provincial Party schools and a variety of other establishments.

The current principal, Vice-President Xi Jinping, is following in some illustrious footsteps, including former leaders Mao Zedong and Hu Yaobang, and President Hu Jintao.

The high political positions held by the trainees and the school's ties with China's leadership provide a strong motivation for foreign officials to pay a visit, sending their messages to, and building connections with, the country's future leaders.

"It comes as no surprise, when you consider China's rapid pace of development and its growing influence within the international community. A visit to the school indicates that overseas officials have a willingness to learn about the country and the Party," said Song Yinghui, a researcher at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

"Foreign leaders are becoming increasingly aware that visiting the Central Party School is a very effective way of conveying their message and, hopefully, making an impact on Chinese officials," added Gong.

"It might take another 10 or 20 years before the students really make a difference, but all the officials studying at the school are already experienced decision makers and are expected to occupy very senior positions in the coming years."

Visits from overseas politicians can also be seen as an acceptance of the Chinese political system and an acknowledgement of its achievements, according to Qu Xing, president of the China Institute of International Studies.

"They realize that the Communist Party will be in power over the long run and so they understand the necessity of increasing their dialogue with it," he said.

Free discussion

Unlike their addresses to students, overseas officials know that speeches at the school have to be realistic and firmly related to the current international situation or bilateral affairs.

"When addressing college students, visitors usually talk about their personal values or the 'American dream', things like that, but at the Party school, they are more likely to discuss specific issues," said Jin Canrong, deputy dean of the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China.

In his recent speech to the school, Lee Hsien Loong said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should adopt a "neutral and forward-looking" position on disputes in the South China Sea, otherwise the organization's influence could be damaged.

And when he spoke about the US, Lee reminded the hundreds of officials present that, "it is currently facing some very difficult problems, but it is not a nation in decline ... The US is an enormously resilient and creative society, which attracts and absorbs talent from all over the world, including many people from China and the rest of Asia.

"We should never underestimate the US' capacity to reinvigorate and reinvent itself," he said.

Van Rompuy visited the school in May last year, in an attempt to allay fears about the impact of the eurozone debt crisis. "The euro is the world's second reserve currency and a strong and stable currency - even too strong, compared, for instance, with your currency. We are determined to defend and develop these assets," he told the assembled staff and students, according to Reuters.

Back in 2005, Rumsfeld "urged the next generation of China to become a major player in the global economy by taking steps to strengthen the system", the New York Times reported.

Academic institution

The school is an academic institution and, as such, all the speeches and discussions are regarded as part of an academic exchange. That fact frees the speaker, and the Chinese officials taking part in the discussion, from concerns about unwanted political consequences, he noted.

"The speeches aren't formal diplomatic occasions and are different to bilateral negotiations, so both sides feel able to express their opinions in a more relaxed way," said Qu, who served at the Chinese embassy in France from 2006 to 2009.

Having listened to speeches by Henry Kissinger, Rumsfeld, Shinawatra and Merkel, and having been present at the subsequent discussions, Gong said foreign officials are often impressed by the detailed questions asked by Chinese officials.

"They were not just getting their message across, they were keen to learn what Party officials thought, through face-to-face interaction," he said. "The last thing we want to see is misunderstandings between the major powers, and that risk is reduced by this sort of interaction."

The school provides tuition on topics such as political science, public management and economics. Provincial and ministerial-level officials usually receive two months training, while younger and middle-aged officials, those in their 30s and 40s, spend six months to a year at the academy.

Speeches delivered by foreign officials and subsequent interaction with them provide a much-needed complement to the school's curriculum. They help to improve the global perspective of Chinese officials, which is becoming increasingly important given the country's influence in international affairs and its ever-deepening integration with the global market, Gong said.

"Officials at all levels are finding themselves dealing with foreign dignitaries and enterprises more frequently now. Listening to foreign politicians and officials, and even having discussions with national leaders, interests the students and provides plenty of benefits," he added.