Soldiers from the People's Armed Police Force unit raise the Chinese national flag at People's Square in Shanghai on February 24, 2023. Photo: Chen Xia/GT

China's diplomacy has pressed the "accelerate button" and sounded the clarion call in the spring of 2023 with a series of major diplomatic activities that bring positive changes to a world in turbulence. Experts said that China has formally started its new journey after the two sessions and will take on the responsibility of a major country by making more contributions to addressing concerns of the international community. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping just concluded his successful and significant state visit to Russia on Wednesday, bringing new hopes for a ceasefire in the Ukraine crisis. Earlier this month, senior officials from Saudi Arabia and Iran shook hands in Beijing as the two countries agreed to resume diplomatic ties following China's mediation. 

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, China's special envoys for Middle East and Afghanistan issues have also started their new missions by travelling around the globe to mediate and solve international problems such as the Palestine-Israel conflict and issues between Afghanistan and its neighboring countries in Central Asia. 

A decade ago, in March 2013, Xi first put forward the concept of "a community with a shared future for mankind" when speaking at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. A decade later, the Chinese flagship vision is becoming a great banner for building a better, more prosperous world, said a commentary article published by the Xinhua News Agency.

In the past decade, China has made efforts to promote this concept and work together with other countries around the globe to seek solutions for problems and share the benefits of development. From the Belt and Road Initiative that has brought huge development opportunities to countries all around the world, to the joint fight against the COVID-19 pandemic that saved numerous lives from the deadly virus; from conducting disaster relief and rescue operations in earthquake-hit Turkey and Syria earlier this year, to making significant contributions to UN peace keeping missions worldwide, China has always implemented its concept with concrete actions and notable achievements, said experts.

Global influence 

These achievements and proactive activities have prompted some Western media to take note of the change in China's diplomacy. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published an article on Wednesday that said "China now sees itself as a global power—and it is starting to act like one." 

Domestically, China has already set its vision clearly after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, formally establishing a new team of leaders and new structure for Party and state institutions after the two sessions, which means China is fully prepared to march full speed ahead in its new journey of the new era, said experts. 

Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Thursday that "the current international situation has also made China more proactive."

The world is now in a state of great turbulence, and this affects the entire international community, and unfortunately, the US, the world's only super power, chooses not to take the responsibility to fix the world, but instead uses the cracks and scars around the globe to instigate more conflicts, Li said. It's even trying to reap benefits from the chaos, which means China, a major power with strength and wisdom, has to stand up and take the responsibility of promoting peace through its actions, he added. 

In the coming weeks, leaders and top diplomats from many countries and international organizations are scheduled or have announced plans to visit China, including Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. 

Honduras, a country that used to be an ally of the island of Taiwan, reportedly plans to send its foreign minister to visit the Chinese mainland to promote the establishment of diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday said that China welcomes the positive attitude of Honduras and is willing to develop ties with the country. 

Equatorial Guinea's foreign minister Simeón Oyono Esono Angue and New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta are also visiting China this week. ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn will pay an official visit to China from March 24 to 29, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

This shows that the US approaches of containment, isolation and stigmatization against China have completely failed. All countries, whether they are large nations like France and Brazil or small nations like Honduras and Equatorial Guinea, all need to develop ties with China, and China also wants to build stable and equal relations with them, experts said.

In particular, on matters that the world shares concerns over, like the ongoing Ukraine crisis, more and more countries find that the US and its followers have failed to bring peace and also failed to lead global recovery, Li said. They are even opposing de-escalation of the crisis and are eager to see the bloodshed being prolonged, which is why countries are now placing their expectations on China, he added.

'US-centric' no more

The WSJ article said "China's willingness to wade into these conflicts in such a strident way marks a new phase in the country's vision for itself and its role in the world. It sends a message that China and its friends are no longer obliged to conform to a US-led global order."

Chinese analysts said that in fact, it was the US-led order that brought more troubles, unfairness, uncertainty and even danger to world peace and global recovery, so more and more members of the international community, including China, believe that it's time to make some changes to jointly and more actively build a "community with a shared future for mankind."

It's not just Russia, Ukraine and European countries suffering as a result of the problematic security mechanism the US has shaped for the continent. In the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Asian-Pacific region, many countries are also suffering from tensions, conflicts and unrest directly or indirectly caused by the US, said experts.  

After the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, the US-led Western countries launched a series of unilateral sanctions, and in recent years, Washington has launched all-out containment to target China's development. These have seriously disrupted the supply and industrial chains, and the chain of capital is also being impacted, with many Western banks now paying the price, analysts said.

Zhang Weiwei, dean of the China Institute at Fudan University, told the Global Times that although Russia has been isolated by the West, "the West is isolated" by the rest of the world. Irresponsible acts carried out by the US have backfired on its own hegemony.

Wang Yiwei, director of the Institute of International Affairs at the Renmin University of China, echoed this view, saying that "after seeing the reckless behaviors of the US and its Western followers, many countries are being very disappointed by the West that they used to admire."

In 2008, China helped the US after its financial tsunami, but Washington didn't return the favor to China and only offered more hostilities, so this time, if another financial crisis comes, the US should not ask for help from China, Zhang noted. 

Washington unilaterally released information about US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo planning to visit China, but without confirmation from the Chinese side. 

While answering a question about the US seeking to have a call between the presidents of the two countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, "Communication should not be carried out for the sake of communication. The US side should show sincerity."

Li said that in the past, China found that as long as it stabilizes ties with the US, ties with other nations will not see big problems, but since the Trump administration, China has found that the US is the biggest troublemaker and shows no sincerity in fixing ties, no matter how China expresses its kindness, so now, it's time for China to be more proactive and invest more resources in developing ties with other countries rather than prioritize ties with Washington.