China Has Always Been Committed to Its Foreign Policy Goals of Upholding World Peace and Promoting Common Development
中国始终坚持维护世界和平、促进共同发展的外交政策宗旨
Ambassador Wang Tongqing
王同庆大使
23 December 2022
2022年12月23日
The year of 2022 is coming to an end. This is a year intertwined with changes and chaos. Geopolitical tensions have risen in the world and economic downward pressure has increased. The deficit in peace, development, security and governance is growing. Uncertainty and instability continue to increase. As a responsible country, China not only needs to strive to develop itself in such a turbulent and changing world to lead a better life for its more than 1.4 billion people, but also needs to better safeguard world peace, stability and sustainable development through its own development. This is a task of unparalleled difficulty and complexity.
Many friends are interested in where China’s diplomacy will be heading in 2023. The answer has been given in the Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. China will remain firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace, and commit to its foreign policy goals of upholding world peace and promoting common development. With stable institutions, governance, policy and development, we are confident to provide much needed certainty and stability to the international community.
即将过去的2022年是变乱交织的一年，世界地缘政治紧张局势上升，经济下行压力加大，和平、发展、安全、治理赤字加重，不确定不稳定性持续增加。作为负责任大国，中国既要努力在动荡变革的世界中发展自己，让14亿多人民过上好日子，又要以自身发展更好地维护世界和平、稳定、可持续发展，这一任务充满了复杂性艰巨性。很多朋友都在关心2023年的中国外交将向何处去？中共二十大报告里其实已经有了答案：中国将继续坚定奉行独立自主的和平外交政策，坚持维护世界和平、促进共同发展的外交政策宗旨。我们有信心以自身制度、治理、政策和发展的稳定，不断为国际社会注入宝贵的确定性稳定性。
China will continue to adhere to peaceful development. Since ancient times, the Chinese nation has pursued the philosophy of “peace and harmony is most precious” and believed that all countries should seek harmony and common ground while preserving differences. After the Opium War in 1840, for about one century, China has been plundered by some Western powers and become a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people established New China in 1949. It was then when people could finally live in peace to develop the country and have a better life of our own. This century-long history of being invaded has strengthened the Chinese people with an untiring spirit and made us cherish peace. For over 70 years since the founding of New China, we have never sought hegemony or expansion. We have never exported our system. We stay true to the principle of equality of all countries, be they big or small, strong or weak, and rich or poor. We respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, and respect the development paths and social systems chosen by nations of their own will. China is now working hard to achieve modernization for more than 1.4 billion people in a peaceful way. China’s development strengthens the global forces for peace, and makes significant contributions to global strategic stability.
中国将继续坚持走和平发展道路。中华民族自古讲求“和为贵”，主张各国求同存异，和睦相处。从1840年鸦片战争开始的一百年间，西方列强轮流瓜分中国，将中国沦为半殖民地半封建社会。直到1949年才在中国共产党领导下建立新中国，拥有建设自己的国家、创造美好生活的和平环境。这段百年被侵略的历史让中国人民更加自强不息、珍惜和平。新中国成立70多年来，我们始终坚持不称霸、不扩张、不搞制度输出，主张国家不分大小、强弱、贫富一律平等，尊重各国主权和领土完整，尊重各国自主选择发展道路和社会制度。如今，中国正积极致力于让14亿多人口以和平方式整体迈入现代化。中国的发展是世界和平力量的增长，也是对全球战略稳定的重大贡献。
China will continue to pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up. The global economy today is characterized by countries being mutually dependent, which is the result of the interplay between market rules and respective needs of countries. In recent years, however, as economic globalization meets strong headwinds and the international consensus of opening up becomes weaker, all countries suffer, with the developing ones bearing the brunt. Under such circumstances, those claiming the so-called decoupling and chain-breaking are rather irresponsible, causing dangers to the world. As we learned from more than 40 years of reform and opening up in China, no country can develop without the world, and global development should benefit all. China will support economic globalization as usual, while strongly oppose ideological division, unilateralism and the logic of domination. By promoting high-standard opening up, China is sharing opportunities with the world and hence building an open world economy with all countries together.
中国将继续奉行互利共赢的开放战略。世界经济发展到今天，各国相互依存，谁也离不开谁，这是市场规律和各自需求共同作用的结果。但近年来，经济全球化遭遇逆风，全球开放共识被削弱，大家的日子都不好过，发展中国家首当其冲。在这样困难的情况下，一些人想搞“脱钩断链”，这是很危险和不负责任的。中国改革开放40多年的经验表明，任何一个国家的发展都离不开世界，世界的发展也应惠及每一个国家。中国将继续支持推动经济全球化，反对以意识形态划线、搞单边主义、唯我独尊的做法，将不断扩大高水平开放，同世界各国共享机遇，共建开放型世界经济。
China upholds true multilateralism. Countries should not fall into the traps of bloc confrontation or zero-sum game, which benefit no one. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the first to put its signature on the UN Charter, China has all along defended the international system with the UN at its core and the international order based on international law, actively participated in the build-up and reform of global governance system, unequivocally opposed hegemonism and power politics, as well as bloc confrontation and Cold War mentality. Next year, China will make more efforts to implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda together with Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, support international cooperation in areas such as food and energy security, and actively fulfill promises to tackle climate change and preserve biodiversity, so as to make global development more inclusive, more resilient and beneficial to all.
中国坚持真正的多边主义。国家间关系不应陷入阵营对抗、零和博弈的窠臼，这对任何一方都没有好处。作为联合国安理会常任理事国和第一个在《联合国宪章》上签字的国家，中国始终坚定维护以联合国为核心的国际体系和以国际法为基础的国际秩序，积极参与全球治理体系建设和改革，旗帜鲜明反对一切形式的霸权主义和强权政治，反对阵营对抗和冷战思维。未来一年，中国将继续推进2030年可持续发展议程，推动落实全球发展倡议、全球安全倡议，支持粮食和能源安全等领域国际合作，积极履行应对气候变化、保护生物多样性等全球治理承诺，推动更加包容普惠有韧性的全球发展。
Recently, we see frequent interactions between Chinese and European leaders. A sustainable China-EU relationship is beneficial to world peace and stability. China always considers Europe a comprehensive strategic partner, supports the strategic autonomy of the EU, and wishes Europe united and prosperous. We welcome friends from European countries, including Finland, to visit China and witness China’s development and progress, which will help them perceive China objectively and correctly. We look forward to seeing Europe become an important partner to China on its path towards Chinese modernization, and to working together to tackle various global challenges.
近段时间以来，中欧领导人互动频繁。一个稳健发展的中欧关系有利于世界和平稳定。中国始终视欧洲为全面战略伙伴，希望欧洲保持团结繁荣，支持欧盟战略自主。欢迎包括芬兰在内的欧洲各国朋友多到中国去看一看，感受中国的发展进步，建立客观正确的对华认知。期待欧洲成为中国走中国式现代化道路的重要伙伴，双方合力应对各种全球性挑战。