China's neighborhood diplomacy acclaims global recognition

This year marks the 10th anniversary of China's neighborhood diplomacy under the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, showing the great importance China attaches to nurturing good relations with its neighbors based on mutual and meaningful consultation for developing a shared future for humanity under the theme of win-win situation.

Since the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), the Chinese government has attached great importance to diplomacy with their neighbors.

Guided by the policy of good neighborliness and friendliness, Chinese leadership under the vision of the Communist Party of China (CPC) have developed a series of important strategic ideas and policies to initiate a generally favorable environment for China's modernization.

Since its reform and opening-up, the rapid growth of China's economy, and the rise of its international status, China's diplomacy with neighboring countries has featured more prominently in China's overall diplomacy.

After entering the new century, the Chinese government formally proposed that "the development of its relationship with neighboring countries should top China's diplomatic agenda".

Whether it is in terms of geographical location, natural environment or mutual relations, the diplomacy with neighboring countries is of extremely important strategic significance to China.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, while maintaining the consistency and stability of diplomatic policies and principles, China has made comprehensive arrangements for its overall diplomacy, highlighting the important role of neighboring countries in China's overall development and diplomacy.

At the 19th CPC National Congress, it was underlined that China will deepen relations with its neighbors in accordance with the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, inclusiveness and the policy of forging friendship and partnership with its neighbors.

China remains firm in its commitment to forging a new form of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, and working to build a community with the shared future for humanity.

We have witnessed how China's good neighborly diplomacy stems from the tradition of loving peace and opposing aggression. Since ancient times, China has upheld integrity and good neighborliness and has been willing to treat neighboring countries sincerely and coexist with them on friendly terms.

Having good relations with neighbors and friendliness, in general, are deeply in Chinese cultural tradition. Since reforms and opening up and, in particular, after the Cold War, China's leaders have insisted on good-neighborly relations and friendliness in order to develop a favorable environment with its neighbors for China's modernization drive and to serve as a guideline for resolving disputes with neighboring countries.

Under the guidance of its good neighborly diplomatic ideology, China has always advocated the resolution of controversial problems through friendly consultation and negotiation with its neighbors that has enhanced China's global status.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, China has been upholding the policy of forging friendships and partnerships with its neighbors, and fostering an amicable, stable and prosperous neighborhood, which enriches the connotations and measures of the diplomatic thinking of promoting friendship and partnership with its neighbors.

The report of the 18th CPC National Congress highlighted that China would remain committed to good neighborly diplomacy and stressed that China would work hard to develop itself so as to bring even more benefits to its neighbors. This policy has set the course for China's good neighborly diplomacy and field diplomacy.

In addition, with the passage of the time, China has acted more kindly and positively towards neighboring countries to strengthen friendship and gain more recognition and support from them to enhance China's accessibility and diplomatic outreach.

Sincerity refers to the sincere treatment of neighboring countries to attract more friends and partners. Mutual benefits mean to base China's cooperation with neighboring countries on mutual benefits from developing close networks of common interests and driving the convergence of mutual interests so that neighboring countries can benefit from China's development and in turn China can also benefit from the common development of neighboring countries.

Inclusiveness refers to the notion of being accommodative. In this era of enhanced connectivity when the Belt and Road Initiative is also entering into the 2nd decade of development, China's diplomatic concepts and strategy has advanced the national interests and advanced the building of a community with the shared future of humanity with the global community by upholding peace, promote development and pursue cooperation and mutual benefits at both regional and international level.

The author is a media fellow of China International Press Communication Center.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.

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