China intent on international cooperation, premier says

BEIJING - Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday reaffirmed an "independent and peaceful" foreign policy, saying China stands ready to work with the international community to respond to challenges and share development opportunities.

Delivering his annual report on government work, Wen reviewed and spoke highly of Beijing's diplomatic performance in the past year.

"We actively participated in international cooperation to respond to the global financial crisis and climate change, and played a unique, constructive role in a series of major multilateral conferences," he said.

Wen also outlined China's future ambitions on diplomatic work.

"In the new year, we will continue to use the G20 financial summit and other major multilateral activities as our main platforms for actively participating in the process of change in the international system and safeguarding the interests of developing countries," Wen said.

He said China will make overall plans for coordinating bilateral and multilateral diplomacy and take advantage of the opportunities offered by the completion of the ASEAN-China free trade zone and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit to promote regional cooperation.

Wen also promised to carry out diplomatic work in climate change, energy and resource cooperation and play a constructive role in seeking a proper solution to global issues.

Wen's speech drew a quick response from analysts on foreign relations. Although domestic affairs take precedence over foreign relations in Wen's work report, they believe that the two paragraphs on China's diplomatic approach have showed deep interactions between Beijing and the world.

Ma Zhengang, president of the China Institute of International Studies, said that because of economic globalization and the multipolarization of the world, any action by China will impact the international community.

Wen's report outlined the guiding principle of China's policy, which is to balance ties with major powers and enhance cooperation with neighboring nations, Ma said.

Since China's opening up and reform 30 years ago, the country, with its growing economy, has emerged and expanded its profile as an active player in the international arena, he said.

"China cannot develop without the world and a lot of international issues are now China-related," Ma said.

As Wen noted in the G20 financial summit, Beijing's foreign policy has reflected its emphasis on the economy, Ma said.

Liu Jiangyong, a professor with the Beijing-based Tsinghua University, agreed with Ma, saying the G20 has become China's new platform for foreign policy.

"The consolidation and development of the G20 mechanism is an important change in international patterns and for China. The largest developing country has made tremendous efforts to safeguard the interests of developing countries on this platform," Liu said.