New era in global diplomacy

Multi-pivot diplomatic strategy marks significant strides toward the realization of the Chinese Dream

China's new leadership has been pressing ahead by taking several new measures, putting forward new ideas, and crafting a new image by rolling out a multi-pivot diplomatic strategy.

The multi-pivot diplomatic strategy has been of special interest in recent months. During his first overseas trip, after assuming office, to Russia in March, President Xi Jinping held extensive discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin on how to advance the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination. China and Russia are each other's biggest neighbors and hence important strategic partners for coordination. By issuing a joint statement that emphasizes firm support for each other's core interests like sovereignty, territorial integrity and security issues, the two sides have set an excellent example on how to deepen trust and cooperation in the new era.

In June, Xi and his US counterpart Barack Obama during discussions at the Annenberg Estate in Rancho Mirage, California, United States, agreed to create a new major-power relationship model for China and the US. The core elements of the new model, as Xi elaborated, are no conflict or no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

The new relationship between the two major powers is also expected to end the zero-sum game scenario, something that could ultimately lead to conflict or even war. The groundbreaking and strategic initiative charted by the new Chinese leadership is expected to set the tone for the extremely important but complicated China-US ties.

Diplomacy with neighboring countries has also been receiving paramount importance in China's diplomatic initiatives. Xi paid state visits to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan in September and attended the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan, which opened a new chapter in China's relations with the four Central Asian countries. Stressing on the need for enhanced cooperation to thwart the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, Xi called for the creation of a Silk Road economic belt to realize the full potential of Eurasian economic cooperation.

During his maiden trip to Southeast Asia in October, Xi stressed on the need for a more closely knit China-ASEAN community with a shared destiny so that it can bring more benefits to both China and ASEAN and to the people in the region.