New leaders to face foreign-policy issues

By Zhang Chunyan in London, Liu Jia in Brussels and Pu Zhendong in Beijing (China Daily)

10:25, March 02, 2013

Improving ties with neighboring states is among the many emerging challenges in Chinese foreign policy in the next five years, as Beijing anticipates new leadership this month, experts from China and abroad said.

China should concentrate first on reassuring its neighbors, and the rest of the international community, of its intentions, said David Fouquet, a senior associate of the Brussels-based European Institute of Asian Studies.

"This 'strategic reassurance' must persuade the Asia-Pacific region that China will not behave aggressively or try to coerce its neighbors, even if the United States were not engaged in the region," he added.

Fouquet's comment came before China's annual meeting of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, which will begin on Tuesday and will be a debut for the new leaders.

The meeting, which marks another major political event following the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in November, is attracting international attention.

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