On Sept. 4, 2018, the roundtable meeting of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China. President Xi and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa chair the first and second stages of the roundtable meetings, respectively. [Photo by Sheng Jiapeng/China News Service]

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) convened in 2012, Xi Jinping, president of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and concurrently general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, has proposed a series of new concepts, propositions and initiatives aimed at driving forward China's socio-economic development. In the political sphere prominent among these is Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy. Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy has been hailed as an important part of President Xi's conception of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era and a major theoretical achievement that combines the fundamental principles of Marxism with the practice of diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. It constitutes the concentrated embodiment of the governance thought of the CPC under the leadership of Xi in the diplomatic field and a fundamental guide for China's foreign relations in the new era.

Rich connotation of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy

The international balance of power has undergone and is still undergoing dramatic changes, with peace, development and win-win cooperation forming an unstoppable trend in the face of the threats to world peace and development represented by unilateralism, protectionism, hegemonism and power politics. There has been an erosion of belief in the prospects of peace and development with non-traditional security threats continuing unchecked in the fields of public health, terrorism, climate change and cybersecurity. Human society is facing unprecedented challenges, and the world once again stands at a historic crossroads. In this context, China faces a world where strategic opportunities, risks and challenges coexist. In this historical period so fraught with uncertainty and unpredictability, China must be prepared to withstand the stormy winds and surging waves of global politics. Confronted with increasingly complex situations, China will need to shoulder greater responsibilities and undertake more arduous tasks.