The ABCs to decoding China's diplomacy in 2023

Editor’s notes:

Looking back at China's diplomacy in 2023, a series of captivating and diverse stories unfolded between China and the rest of the world. People’s Daily Online has selected some impressing stories to give a brief summary for these significant moments.

A (APEC)

The 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting was held in San Francisco, the United States, from November 16 to 17, 2023.

President Xi Jinping profoundly summarized the useful inspiration from Asia-Pacific cooperation, pointing out that openness and inclusiveness is the defining feature of Asia-Pacific cooperation, development for all is the overarching goal of Asia-Pacific cooperation, and seeking common ground while shelving differences is the best practice in Asia-Pacific cooperation.

B (The third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation)

The third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF) was held in Beijing from October 17 to 18, 2023.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech in which he announced eight major steps China will take to support high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

This BRF was attended by over 10,000 registered representatives from 151 countries and 41 international organizations. During the forum, 458 outcomes were achieved, and Chinese and foreign companies reached business deals worth USD 97.2 billion.

C（China-Central Asia Summit）

The China-Central Asia Summit took place on May 18 and 19, 2023 in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province. Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired the summit and delivered a keynote speech. During the summit, China and five Central Asian countries signed seven bilateral and multilateral documents as well as over 100 cooperation agreements in various fields. The Summit has created a new platform and opened up new prospects for China-Central Asia cooperation.

D（A decade of BRI）

2023 marked the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Over the past decade, BRI cooperation has delivered real gains to participating countries. By June 2023, China had signed more than 200 BRI cooperation agreements with more than 150 countries and 30 international organizations across five continents, yielding a number of signature projects and small-scale yet impactful projects.

China has hosted the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation three times, providing an important platform for participating countries and international organizations to expand exchanges, increase mutual trust, and strengthen ties. Under the BRI framework, Chinese and foreign partners have launched 20-plus multilateral dialogue and cooperation mechanisms in professional domains.

E（The 6th China International Import Expo）

The sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE) was held in Shanghai from November 5 to 10, 2023. The sixth CIIE saw a total of 78.41 billion U.S. dollars worth of tentative deals reached for one-year purchases of goods and services, setting a record high.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a letter to the sixth CIIE, noting that China will always be an important opportunity for global development.

He pledged that China will firmly advance high-standard opening-up and continue to make economic globalization more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all.

F（UN Firearms Protocol）

China’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Zhang Jun submitted the instrument of ratification of the Firearms Protocol to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on December 19, 2023. The ratification of the Firearms Protocol is yet another major step taken by China to implement the Global Security Initiative, practice multilateralism and uphold international and regional peace and stability.

G（The 19th Asian Games Hangzhou）

The 19th Asian Games was hosted in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, from September 23 to October 8, 2023. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony and declared the Games open.

“As a community with a shared future connected by mountains and rivers as well as cultural affinity, we should use sports to promote peace, pursue good neighborliness and mutual benefit, and reject Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation. We should make Asia an anchor of world peace,” said Xi.

H（Human Rights）

The Forum on Global Human Rights Governance was held in Beijing from June 14 to 15, 2023. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the forum.

Offering Chinese propositions in the letter, he stressed that China advocates safeguarding human rights with security, promoting human rights with development and advancing human rights with cooperation, which demonstrated China's sense of responsibility in participating in global human rights governance and promoting the progress of human rights development of the world.

I（The Global Civilization Initiative）

Xi Jinping,general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, also Chinese president, proposed the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting on March 15, 2023.

The GCI is yet another important public good China has shared with the world in the new era after the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI).

J（Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway）

On October. 17, 2023, during the third Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo jointly inaugurated the official operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway.

The railway, connecting Indonesia's capital Jakarta and its tourist city Bandung, is a flagship project for China-Indonesia cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. It is the first high-speed railway in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

K（Bond with Kuliang ）

“Bond with Kuliang: 2023 China-U.S. People-to-People Friendship Forum” was held in Fuzhou, east China’s Fujian Province on June 28, 2023.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the forum, noting that amity between peoples holds the key to the relationship between countries, and the people are the cornerstone of its growth. "I hope that you will continue to write the Kuliang story and carry forward the special bonds, so that the friendship between our two peoples can stay forever strong and robust like the thousand-year-old cedar trees in Kuliang," Xi said.

L (Law on Foreign Relations of the People’s Republic of China)

China's top legislature passed the Law on Foreign Relations on June 28, 2023. This law took effect on July 1, 2023.

It is considered a significant milestone in China building a rule of law system in relation to foreign affairs.

M（A Community with A Shared Future for Mankind）

2023 marked the 10th anniversary when the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind was first proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in March, 2013.

Over the past decade the vision of a global community of shared future has been steadily enriched and has gained broader support. The past decade has also seen steady progress in implementing the vision.

From bilateral to multilateral and from regional to global dimensions, ground-breaking results have been achieved on every front. China has established various forms of a community of shared future with dozens of countries and regions. Solid progress has been made in building a community with a shared future for mankind, lending new impetus to the building of a brighter future for humanity.

N（China-Nicaragua relations）

Chinese President Xi Jinping had a phone call with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega on December 20, 2023. The two heads of state announced the formal establishment of a strategic partnership between China and Nicaragua.

This marks a capstone of China’s effort this year to enhance friendship with Latin American countries.

O（Philadelphia Orchestra）

As the first American orchestra to perform in China in 1973, the Philadelphia Orchestra made its 13th visit to the country from Novemer 9 to 18, 2023 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1973 historic trip. Besides Beijing, the musicians also traveled to Tianjin, Suzhou and Shanghai.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has replied to a letter from Matias Tarnopolsky, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the first American orchestra to perform in China after the founding of the People's Republic of China. Xi said he hopes the orchestra and artists from China, the United States and across the world will continue the efforts to strengthen people-to-people ties between China and the United States and spread friendship among peoples of the world.

P（Palestinian president's visit to China）

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President of the State of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas paid a state visit to China from June 13 to 16, 2023.

2023 marked the 35th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between China and Palestine. The two leaders announced the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries.

Q（High-quality partnership）

The 15th BRICS summit was held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 23, 2023. Leaders of the five BRICS countries made a political decision on expansion and officially welcomed new members to the BRICS family. The BRICS mechanism achieved a historic expansion, adding new strength to unity and cooperation in the developing world.

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the 15th BRICS Summit.

“We should always bear in mind our founding purpose of strengthening ourselves through unity, enhance cooperation across the board, and build a high-quality partnership. We should help reform global governance to make it more just and equitable, and bring to the world more certainty, stability and positive energy,” said Xi. 

R（China Railway Express）

Some 82,000 China-Europe freight train trips have been made by the end of 2023, providing services for 217 cities in 25 European countries. 

The number of China-Europe freight trains operated in 2023 reached 17,000, up 6 percent year-on-year, while 1.9 million 20-foot equivalent units of containers were shipped, soaring 18 percent year-on-year.

S（Joint Trilateral Statement）

As announced by China, Saudi Arabia and Iran, the latter two have reached a deal which includes the agreement to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and missions within two months on March 10, 2023.

This highly anticipated diplomatic mediation has inspired a trend of reconciliation in the Middle East and provided an important model for countries to resolve conflicts through dialogue and negotiation.

T（CIFTIS）

Themed "Opening-up leads development, cooperation delivers the future," the 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) was held in Beijing, from September 2 to 6, 2023.

With 155,000 square meters of exhibition area, 10 summits, 102 themed conferences, 18 side conferences and 72 business matching sessions, the CIFTIS has achieved fruitful results in multiple fields. More than 2,400 companies, including 500 of the world’s top 500 and industry leading enterprises, participated in offline exhibitions and over 6,700 enterprises participated in the fair online.

U（Uruguayan President’s visit to China）

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay paid a state visit to China from November 20 to 24, 2023. 

The two heads of state announced the elevation of bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

2023 marked the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Uruguay, and the fifth anniversary of Uruguay's joining in the Belt and Road Initiative.

V（State Visits）

Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Russia from March 20 to 22, 2023 at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the 15th BRICS Summit and paid a state visit to South Africa from August 21 to 24, 2023 at the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

At the invitation of U.S. President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping was in San Francisco from November. 14 to 17 for a China-U.S. summit meeting and the 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.

At the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and State President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Vo Van Thuong, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Vietnam from December12 to 13, 2023.

W（The 31st FISU World University Games）

The 31st FISU World University Games was held in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province from July 28 to August 8, 2023. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony and declared the Games open.

He said we should carry forward the spirit of the World University Games to stand up to global challenges in solidarity, build up positive energy across the international community, and shape a better future through cooperation.

X（The 10th Beijing Xiangshan Forum）

The 10th Beijing Xiangshan Forum was held on October 29 to 31, 2023 in Beijing. This year's forum has reached a record high in both scale and level and it has become an important platform for all countries to communicate, resolve disputes and promote cooperation.

Y（Young Friends）

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, said on December 13, 2023 that the foundation of China-Vietnam friendship lies among their two peoples and the future of this friendship will be created by the young people.

Xi made the remarks while delivering a key speech during a meeting with representatives of young Chinese and Vietnamese and people who have contributed to the China-Vietnam friendship.

Z（Liangzhu Forum）

The first Liangzhu Forum was held on December 3, 2023, in Hangzhou, the capital of east China's Zhejiang Province.

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the forum.

The ruins of Liangzhu ancient city are a demonstration of the 5,000-year history of the Chinese civilization, and a treasure of world civilizations, Xi said.

The Chinese civilization has been open and inclusive, continuously enriching itself, and drawing on the essence of other civilizations, greatly enriching the garden of world civilizations, he said.