Diplomacy and politics
Faced with a changing world, the PRC leadership believes that the key directions for the future development of Chinese diplomacy are the following:
First, relations between the great powers. These connections directly affect the stability of the world order, and are also the most important area of Beijing’s diplomacy. At present, China is most concerned
about the stabilisation of Sino-US relations. The United States sees China as its only long-term systemic competitor. In turn, Beijing is taking increasingly harsher measures in response to Washington’s strategic competition. Indeed, China’s political elite still hopes to stabilise bilateral relations as much as possible in order to create a favourable environment for the future development of their country. At the same time, China considers its partnership with Russia to be a model of great power relations and stands for the further deepening and development of strategic cooperation between our two countries. It is especially worth noting that for Beijing, the strategic cooperation with Moscow plays a decisive role in the implementation of the Belt and Road initiative.
Second, relations with surrounding countries. Compared to previous Chinese leaders, Xi Jinping is most focused on China’s peripheral diplomacy. Beijing considers building a good neighbourhood a top priority for Chinese diplomacy. In the region, the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula is the most important potential risk. Beijing hopes for maximum stability in relations between Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington, since this directly affects the security of China’s northeast region. At the same time, the Chinese leadership advocates the development of stable and predictable bilateral relations with large neighbouring countries such as Japan and India in order to minimise the negative impact of the US Indo-Pacific strategy on China’s peripheral security.
Third, the concept of a “community with a common destiny for mankind” is Xi Jinping’s most important vision of the future world order. Beijing openly advocates replacing the “universal values” of the West with the common values of development and security for all mankind. The PRC also supports the further promotion of economic globalisation and economic diversification. At the same time, Xi Jinping pays more attention to green and low-carbon development. In the report of the 20
th CPC Congress, the leader repeatedly emphasised environmental issues as a key priority.
In the field of security, China advocates the creation of a transparent and sustainable architecture, especially in East Asia, and also advocates against the concept of a zero-sum game. The main goal is undoubtedly to reduce the influence of the US-led alliance system.
Sino-Russian Cooperation in an Era of Change
The Ukrainian crisis is a symbol of the further acceleration of changes in international relations. During this difficult period, the stability of China’s domestic policy, which was strengthened by the 20
th CPC Congress, opened up new opportunities for the future development of Sino-Russian relations. At the same time, the convergence of views between Beijing and Moscow on a number of international issues also ensures the strengthening of relations between our two countries. It should be noted that cooperation in the following areas is especially important for Sino-Russian cooperation in an era of change:
First, promoting the construction of a multipolar world is an important area where China and Russia can carry out foreign policy interaction. The Biden administration’s National Security Strategy identified Russia and China as the top threats to American hegemony. The United States is also positioning the next decade as
critical for great power rivalry. Therefore, building a multipolar world together and preventing further US pressure on the strategically important areas around China and Russia through the “NATO-isation” of the Indo-Pacific will be an important area of future cooperation between Beijing and Moscow.
Second, Beijing and Moscow are the most important forces in maintaining stability in Eurasia. With the rise of populism and hegemonism, strategic stability in the region is facing serious challenges. The two countries can jointly maintain regional stability within the framework of the SCO, as well as using the potential of the BRICS. At the same time, strong trilateral relations between China, Russia and India are of positive importance for the entire Eurasian region. Russia has maintained good bilateral relations with India since the Cold War. Despite territorial disputes between India and China, both sides consider domestic development a priority. The effective expansion of trilateral cooperation will bring great geopolitical and geo-economic benefits to the Eurasian region.
Third, cooperation in new areas. Beijing and Moscow believe that climate change will have an important impact on the future of international politics. In this process, cooperation in the traditional energy sector should be continued, while the expansion of joint research and development, including the use of non-traditional and renewable energy sources, should be accelerated. In addition, on October 2019, the Russian government adopted a state strategy for the development of artificial intelligence until 2030; China is also undertaking a new round of industrial upgrading. Thus, in the face of pressure from the United States, it is in the interests of China and Russia to deepen cooperation in the field of high technologies to improve their own security.