International spotlight expected to be on China's diplomatic maneuvers

With the two sessions scheduled to start next week, the international spotlight is once again expected to be on China's diplomatic maneuvers as the nation gets ready to unfold its policy measures at the biggest annual event on its political calendar.

Acting as a window for the world to observe China's politics, the sessions of the National People's Congress, the nation's top legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the nation's top political advisory body, are held in March each year. Thousands of lawmakers and political advisers from across the country participate in the two sessions to chart China's future course of action for its all-around development.

Amid mounting global instability and uncertainty, the expectations are high from China, as the second-largest economy and a significant international player, to play its role as an anchor of stability and growth to promote global peace, security and cooperation.

Responding to an online survey conducted by China Daily website about readers' interest in China's diplomacy, some people said the nation's foreign policy has been exemplary in promoting peace and prosperity in the world.

Others wondered what "challenges and opportunities" China will face amid significant uncertainties in 2024, which will also be a "super election year". Countries, including the United States and Russia, will hold their general election this year, which will also see the election of the European Parliament, one of the legislative bodies of the European Union.

Addressing the Munich Security Conference on Feb 17, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China will continue to serve as a strong force for stability in a turbulent world, where the global economy is weighed down by protectionism and the abuse of the security concept, the international system is impaired by unilateralism and bloc politics, and regional conflicts such as the Ukraine and Gaza crises continue unabated.

Gunter Schoech, founder and managing director of the market research and consulting company Debrouillage in Germany, said that in a world where Western countries try to decouple from China, or even stall its development and globalization at large, it is China which is pushing for more multilateralism and global order.

China provides the largest peacekeeping contingent and makes the second-largest United Nations budget contribution, Schoech said.

It is committed to delivering on COP28 promises on addressing climate change, driving global artificial intelligence governance and serving as a growth engine for the world. It has called for cease-fire, negotiation and peaceful settlement of the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, and it brokered the Saudi-Iranian peace deal last year, he said.

"Taking on such additional global stabilization responsibilities goes hand in hand with China's growing weight in the global community, (which is) based on its economic rise," Schoech added.

Observers said that China's policy on dealing with major countries, especially the US, as well as its specific measures to promote opening-up to be unveiled during the two sessions will also be among the highlights that will attract international attention.

He Zhigao, an associate professor at the Institute of European Studies and a research fellow of the National Institute for Global Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that China, which helps facilitate the stability and continuity of the international order, is a responsible major country to work with.

Countries should strengthen the win-win nature of cooperation, reject the lose-lose dynamics of rivalry, and jointly promote an equal and orderly multipolar world as well as universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, He said.