China's top diplomat presents diplomatic goals for 2024

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, addresses the symposium on the international situation and China's foreign relations in 2023 in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 9, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday presented China's diplomatic work for 2024, saying that China will always be confident and self-reliant, and fulfill its duties as a responsible major country.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when addressing a symposium on the international situation and China's foreign relations in 2023.

Wang said China will give full play to the strategic leading role of head-of-state diplomacy and make every effort to ensure the success of events including the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the Boao Forum for Asia, the China International Import Expo and the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development.

China will firmly safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests, and strive for a favorable external environment for building a new development pattern and achieving high-quality development, Wang said, adding that it will firmly assume its responsibilities on major issues concerning the unity, cooperation and legitimate rights of developing countries and major issues concerning the future and destiny of mankind and the direction of world development.

Wang said China will remain committed to openness and inclusiveness and strengthen and expand the network of global partnerships.

Specifically, Wang said China will implement the consensus reached by the two heads of states of China and the United States in San Francisco, and deepen strategic mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Russia to consolidate their comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era.

China will increase high-level exchanges and strategic communication with the EU to promote the steady and sustained growth of their relations. The country will continue to increase friendship, mutual trust and convergence of interests with its neighbors, work hand in hand with other developing countries, unite with the BRICS countries, and promote the building of a new type of international relations, he said.

China will also actively implement the Global Civilization Initiative, promote the common values of mankind, promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and advance mutual understanding and friendship among people of all countries.

Wang said China will always uphold fairness and justice, advocate the building of an equal and orderly multi-polar world, practice genuine multilateralism, promote democracy in international relations, and uphold the equality of all countries.

Calling on all countries to jointly uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, safeguard the universally recognized basic norms governing international relations, and participate in the reform and construction of the global governance system, Wang said China will fully implement the Global Security Initiative, uphold fairness and justice, actively promote peace talks, take a constructive part in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Ukraine crisis and other global and regional hotspots, and provide more public goods conducive to world peace and development.

Wang said China will continue to pursue win-win cooperation and actively promote inclusive economic globalization that benefits all, pledging to firmly oppose all forms of unilateralism, protectionism and anti-globalization, continue to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, strive to solve structural problems hindering the sound development of the world economy, and maintain the stability and smoothness of global industrial chains and supply chains.

China will promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, increase its input on global development cooperation, help developing countries improve their capacity for independent development, make globalization more open, inclusive, beneficial to all and balanced.

It will also fully implement the outcomes of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, upgrade the quality of cooperation, expand cooperation areas, and continue to provide new opportunities for the world with China's new development, he said.