Remarks by State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi at the MFA 2019 New Year Reception

Ladies and gentlemen,

Friends,

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Over the past seven decades, especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China has broken new ground on the diplomatic front and the Chinese nation has made substantial contributions to global peace, prosperity and progress. We will make a comprehensive review of this great journey and carry forward the fine traditions of China's diplomacy. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we will put into action Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy in every aspect of our work. We will remain true to our mission and make unremitting efforts to open up new prospects for our major-country diplomacy with distinctive Chinese features.

We will continue to follow peaceful development. Peaceful development represents the overarching direction of China's foreign policy. The choice of peaceful development has its root in the 5,000-year Chinese culture and is further shaped by the CPC's sense of its historical mission to pursue the greater good of humanity. China will stay the course of peaceful development. We shall never seek hegemony or expansion. In the year ahead, we will continue to promote a community with a shared future for mankind, uphold equality between countries of all sizes, adhere to non-interference in others' internal affairs, and work toward a new form of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation. Likewise, we hope other countries will pursue peaceful development as well, as that is the only way to achieve universal and genuine peace on this planet we share.

We will continue to advance cooperation for win-win results. Pursuing cooperation for win-win outcomes is an abiding goal of China's diplomacy, as it serves the shared interests of China and all other countries, and conforms to the trend of the world. In the year ahead, we will follow the principle of consultation and cooperation for shared benefits, and work with all relevant parties to make the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation a success and facilitate more quality and fruitful cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. We will fully deliver on the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, and strengthen cooperation frameworks between China and ASEAN, the Arab states, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, and other regions. These efforts will elevate China's mutually beneficial cooperation with other developing countries to a higher level.

We will continue to safeguard the international order underpinned by multilateralism. Multilateralism is a key tenet of China's diplomacy. It is the result of much soul-searching after bitter lessons of the two world wars in the 20th century, and has since served as an important safeguard for global peace and development. In the year ahead, we will work with other countries to support the role of the United Nations in achieving global peace and development, and call on all countries to abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. China will strengthen cooperation with all other parties within the G20, APEC, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS and other frameworks to promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and that of the Paris Agreement, and contribute to a global response to global challenges through multilateral cooperation.

We will continue to build partnerships. Building partnerships is a creative approach China has adopted in developing state-to-state relations. By choosing dialogue and partnership over confrontation and alliance, this approach goes beyond the zero-sum thinking and rejects the winner-take-all practice. It provides an effective avenue for building a new type of international relationship, and ultimately a community with a shared future for mankind. In the year ahead, we will make full use of celebrating the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties to advance our high-level strategic coordination with Russia on all fronts. We will follow through on the important consensus reached between the Presidents of China and the US, and work with the US to properly handle differences and frictions and stay committed to a China-US relationship centering on coordination, cooperation and stability. We will work with European countries to uphold multilateralism and improve global governance. We will enhance political trust and practical cooperation with our neighbors and the wider developing world.

We will continue to play a mediating role in regional hotspots. Safeguarding peace is a bounden duty of China's diplomacy. In the year ahead, we will continue to present Chinese proposals and solutions, strive to play a bigger role and make greater contributions to resolving regional and international hotspots. This year will be a critical year for bringing about a substantive breakthrough on the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue. We will work with the rest of the international community to support the DPRK in keeping to the goal of denuclearization and encourage the US to demonstrate its readiness to move in the same direction. We hope to see new and important outcomes from the second DPRK-US summit, leading to parallel progress in achieving complete denuclearization and establishing a peace regime on the Peninsula. We will continue to uphold the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear issue, mediate a proper settlement of the Rakhine issue, take a constructive part in the political process in Afghanistan, and work tirelessly for resolving such hotspots as Syria and Palestine.

We will continue to serve China's reform and development. Promoting China's development is an inherent goal of China's diplomacy. We are in the final stage of winning the critical battle against poverty and attaining the first centenary goal of finishing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. In the year ahead, we will keep our domestic development needs firmly in mind and do our level best to foster a generally favorable external environment. We will leverage our diplomatic strengths to counter various risks and challenges and to help explore diverse markets. We will continue to present Chinese provinces to the world, facilitate major projects like the planning and development of the Xiongan New Area and the 2022 Winter Olympics, and do our fair share for fighting poverty.

We will continue to defend China's legitimate rights and interests. This is a sacred mission of China's diplomacy. China has all along respected other countries' legitimate rights and interests. At the same time, we shall never allow any infringement of China's legitimate and lawful rights and interests. In the year ahead, we will continue to uphold the one-China principle, safeguard our national sovereignty, security and development interests, reject any external intervention or provocation on issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Xinjiang, Tibet and maritime affairs. We will stand up for our development rights in economic, science and technology, innovation and other fields, and oppose any unilateral moves or bullying against China.

Ladies and gentlemen, 

Friends,

A new year brings new hopes. China looks forward to working with all other countries, come rain or shine, to embrace a brighter future for all of us.

To conclude, please join me in a toast:

To a peaceful and prosperous world;

To China's friendship and cooperation with your countries and organizations; and

To the health and happiness of all the distinguished guests present.

Cheers!