Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on Chinese envoys abroad to become “diplomatic iron troops” who are “dare to fight and good at fighting” to safeguard national interests. The interviewed scholars believe that this means that China will continue its active and offensive diplomatic posture and continue to pursue a tough foreign policy.
According to the People’s Daily, the organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping met with all envoys participating in the 2023 Work Conference of Envoys Abroad at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday (December 29). In his speech at the meeting, he pointed out that the suppression and containment of China by external forces has been escalating in the past few years since the COVID-19 epidemic has been raging, which has brought special challenges to diplomatic work and put all diplomatic envoys abroad to undergo special tests.
Xi Jinping emphasized the need for China to increase its international influence and called on diplomatic envoys stationed abroad to learn and implement socialist diplomacy with Chinese characteristics for a new era, tell China’s story well in international languages and methods, and let the world better understand the new era. of China.
When talking about the foreign affairs work of envoys stationed abroad, Xi Jinping proposed the spirit of “dare to be good at fighting” and described them as the “diplomatic iron army.”
He said: “(You) must enhance your confidence and confidence, maintain strategic sobriety, establish bottom-line thinking, and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests with a ready-to-war preparedness and a firm will that is not afraid of power.”
Xi Jinping’s above-mentioned words have caused some foreign media such as Reuters to once again link China’s next diplomatic route with China’s “wolf warrior diplomacy” that has been criticized by the West in previous years. China has reopened to the outside world after the epidemic and stepped up efforts to attract foreign investment to boost its sluggish economy. This strong diplomatic style seemed to have softened for a time.
The long-term tense relationship between China and the United States has improved after the San Francisco summit between the two heads of state in early November, and high-level military exchanges have also resumed. However, relations between China and some countries are still tense. For example, China and the Philippines have recently clashed in disputed waters in the South China Sea. After Japan’s Fukushima nuclear wastewater was discharged into the sea, China and Japan have not yet reached a settlement on the seafood import ban; Japan jointly China News Service reported on Saturday (December 30), citing unnamed sources, that the China Coast Guard has received orders to further strengthen its activities in the waters near the Diaoyu Islands (known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan) in 2024, including sending ships to patrol every day and inspecting Japan when necessary. Fishing boats etc.
Luo Minghui, assistant professor of the Public Policy and Global Affairs Course at Nanyang Technological University, pointed out in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao that Xi Jinping’s use of military language in diplomatic rhetoric is not new, and the “diplomatic iron army” more reflects the continuation of a tough foreign policy stance.
He said: “Although it is generally believed that China’s Wolf Warrior diplomacy has softened, the tenor of its unyielding and persevering foreign policy has not changed.”
Luo Minghui concluded that in his speech, Xi Jinping conveyed to the envoys the message of continuing to adopt a proactive and offensive diplomatic strategy. He said: “China has had more frequent contacts with other countries after the epidemic, and Xi Jinping has given the diplomatic team a higher status and more responsibilities.”
With the rise of national power, the work of Chinese envoys abroad has received more and more attention. Public information shows that the work conference of diplomatic envoys stationed abroad has been adjusted since 2016, from once every five years to once every year. However, after the last meeting was held in 2019, it could not be held as scheduled in the following three years due to China’s strict epidemic prevention and control measures. .
In addition to discussing foreign affairs work, Xi Jinping also emphasized at this year’s meeting that envoys stationed abroad must strictly abide by rules and disciplines, reminding envoys to “build a solid ideological defense line, always respect themselves, self-examine, police themselves, and encourage themselves.” In 2017, Xi Jinping also warned envoys to strictly abide by the party’s political discipline and political rules at a working conference for diplomatic envoys stationed abroad.
Former Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang was dismissed from office in July this year for reasons that are still unknown. Luo Minghui believes that Xi Jinping’s renewed emphasis on strict compliance with rules and disciplines to diplomatic envoys stationed abroad this year is sending a signal to them about punishment.
“It also highlights the critical importance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Xi Jinping’s far-reaching foreign policy ambitions,” he said.
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2023-12-30 14:18:00
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