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President Hu Jintao's season of diplomacy demonstrates fresh international affairs strategies.
Hu's presence at the dialogue between the G8 Summit and developing countries, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, and his state visit to Russia in late June and early July unambiguously show China's diplomatic initiative in multilateral, regional and bilateral dimensions.
At the dialogue between the group of eight industrial powers and developing countries, Hu explicitly expounded China's stances and proposals on a raft of global matters facing the developing country.
At the SCO summit, the president tried to make clear to member states China's regional security and economic cooperation policies. His state visit to Russia was of obvious strategic significance as it served to upgrade relations with an important neighbor.
The future direction of bilateral ties and basic principles for strengthening strategic cooperation on the international stage were laid out.
The extensive support China and Russia have extended to each other on major matters involving state sovereignty, security and territory has underpinned their upgraded strategic and coordinated partnership.
With the foreign ministers of the two countries exchanging ratification of the supplementary accord on border demarcation in the eastern section in June, China and Russia have completely settled boundary disputes, thus removing the largest potential obstacle to their bilateral strategic partnership.
Hu's state visit has made the partnership mature still further.
The establishment of the state security consultation mechanism, the first of its kind China has set up with a foreign nation, bears witness to the heightened mutual trust between the two neighbors in military and security terms.
The maturation of the bilateral political partnership also means the two countries will shift their focus of attention to practical and pragmatic cooperation related to the interests of the two peoples in the future.
It is well known that energy, investment and regional cooperation are three important fields for bilateral cooperation.
In fact, these considerations were key to the president's state visit to Russia.
China is the world's second largest oil consumer while Russia is the fourth largest oil exporter.
Given the global oil strategy of the United States as shown by its intention to control the Middle East's resources, Russia's oil supply has begun to play an increasingly important role on the world stage.
Hu's visit led to the signing of oil cooperation and exploration agreements.
At a recent G8 Summit meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia's oil supply in its Far East region would be preferentially offered to China an essential step towards deepening the Sino-Russian strategic partnership.
The two leaders signed a joint declaration on world order in the 21st century.
In the declaration, the two countries pointed out they are opposed to double standards in the anti-terrorism war, and stressed human rights should not be separated from each country's traditions.
China and Russia obviously expressed opposition to interference in other countries' internal affairs by any country under the pretext of human rights, unilateralism and military diplomacy, and domination of global affairs by a single country.
Any behavior aimed at separating sovereign countries and fanning ethnic animosity is unacceptable, the declaration's seventh article states.
Such rhetoric raises the international standing of Sino-Russian strategic relations. The declaration has become a guiding document for the bilateral strategic and cooperative partnership.
The summer of diplomacy has demonstrated China's diplomatic roadmap that takes into account changing global conditions.
The 2005 joint military exercise between China and Russia will contribute to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific.
China has strived to cultivate the "Shanghai Spirit," which is characterized as "mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, coordination, and respect for varied civilizations and pursuit of joint development," through the framework of the SCO.
The joint declaration issued at the Sino-Russian summit aims to promote the establishment of a just and reasonable new international political and economic order.
China is actively forging a network of economic and security integration with neighboring countries.
An agreement on the establishment of a free trade area by 2010 was signed with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and free trade talks with India and Pakistan have been launched.
China considers Northeast and Central Asia key areas for diplomacy.
With India, Pakistan and Iran successively becoming SCO observers after Mongolia, the regional organization has six formal and four quasi members.
The absorption of India into the SCO framework as an observer nation will strengthen Sino-Indian ties.
The organization plays a crucial role in coping with the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism in the region.
SCO members have made a clear-cut call for a certain country to set a definite deadline to withdraw troops from the region.
At its recent summit, SCO member states reached a consensus on the reform of the United Nations.
The continuous expansion of common ground shared by China and neighboring countries indicates the country will play a more active role in world affairs in the future.
(China Daily July 26, 2005)
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