First month of leadership

How is China's new leadership, led by President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, doing? To begin with, Xi and Li have projected a distinctly fresh style of governance, which the world media have lauded, because it portends the coming of a new benchmark for good governance.

The two leaders have two things going for them. They are secured in and supported by the achievements of their predecessors. And since they are already seasoned and do not have a new job-learning curve ahead of them, they have been able to put together the necessary talents and priorities to set the nation in a new direction.

Xi has focused on international affairs, visiting Russia, Tanzania, South Africa, the Republic of Congo, and attending the fifth BRICS summit in Durban. Then, as a natural multilateral diplomatic sequel, he met a host of key international leaders at the 2013 Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan province.

Li has focused on key domestic issues and government affairs. Members of the country's top legislature have focused on planning, conducting key research tours to relevant domestic regions. Thus, from top to bottom, everybody is in action.

That Xi chose to visit Russia and Africa on his maiden tour as president is of special significance. It exemplifies how China, a major developing country, can best relate, through mutual development, to all nations, developed as well as developing.

Thus "seeking development for all", the theme of the Boao Forum for Asia, is most descriptive of Xi's diplomatic debut. Delivering a keynote address at the forum, Xi said "neighbors wish each other well" and "promoting good neighborliness is a time-honored tradition of China". China relates to all nations for mutual development through peace, equality, and mutual respect and independence, he said.

China and Russia have built a strong foundation of strategic mutual trust and support, which will help them expand their practical cooperation while keeping to their respective development paths and social and political systems. During Xi's visit to Russia, 32 cooperation agreements, termed by both sides as the "contract of the century", were signed, ranging from the energy sector to manufacturing, high-tech and aerospace industries.