Since the conclusion of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) last year and the end of the annual sessions of the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) earlier this year, the Party Central Committee with President Xi Jinping as General Secretary has, in light of new conditions and new tasks, focused on China's long-term and strategic agenda with a keen appreciation of the evolving global environment and development trends at home. Bearing in mind both the domestic and international interests of the country and maintaining the continuity and consistency of its major diplomatic policies, it has promoted innovations in diplomatic theory and practice by keeping up with the trend of the times. With a good beginning and an overall plan adopted, the Party Central Committee has put forth many important strategic ideas on China's external affairs as well as diplomatic policies and principles, and taken a number of major diplomatic initiatives which have not only created external conditions favorable for facilitating the work of the Party and the state across the board, but also enriched and developed the system of diplomatic theory with Chinese characteristics.

I. The new diplomatic initiatives as taken are strategic, overarching and innovative in nature.

Given close international attention on major policy direction of the Party Central Committee with President Xi Jinping as General Secretary after the 18th Party Congress, President Xi made his diplomatic debut by meeting the representatives of foreign experts working in China. Later, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a collective study session on unswervingly following the path of peaceful development. On both occasions, President Xi made important remarks on China's opening-up strategy and foreign policy, sending out a clear message that China's new collective central leadership is committed to reform and opening-up, the path of peaceful development and the strategy of win-win cooperation with the outside world while resolutely upholding China's core national interests.

Since the end of the annual NPC and CPPCC sessions this year, President Xi and other Party and state leaders have paid visits to major countries, neighboring countries, emerging market economies and developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe and North America, and hosted visits by dozens of foreign leaders. These activities of bilateral and multilateral diplomacy both at home and abroad have enabled Chinese leaders to meet more than one hundred foreign heads of state and leaders, which has effectively enhanced China's friendly exchanges and pragmatic cooperation with other countries.

1. Actively promoting relations with major countries: President Xi made Russia the first leg of his first overseas visit as China's President, which strengthened bilateral cooperation in economy, trade, energy and strategic security and consolidated the basis of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership and coordination. President Xi held meetings with U.S. President Barack Obama at the Annenberg Estate in Los Angeles, during which the two sides agreed to work together to build a new model of major-country relationship based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation. China and the United States also successfully held their fifth round of Strategic and Economic Dialogues, making progress in implementing the agreement of the two presidents and advancing the building of a new model of major-country relationship. With Chinese Party and state leaders visiting European countries, China has played host to French President Francois Hollande and other European leaders, and worked steadily to open up new areas of mutually-beneficial and pragmatic cooperation between China and Europe.

2. Energetically working to stabilize and advance friendly and good-neighborly relations in surrounding areas: China's relations with its neighbors are, on the whole, moving towards a more favorable direction. While attending the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2013 and various events held on its sidelines, President Xi expounded on new ideas in China's domestic and foreign policies, which promoted China's strategic trust with relevant countries and elevated its relations with neighboring countries. We have received visits by state leaders from neighboring countries, such as President Truong Tan Sang of Viet Nam, President Park Geun-hye of South Korea and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan, strengthened bilateral ties with neighboring countries in areas including Southeast Asia and Central Asia, and consolidated our good-neighborly friendship and cooperation with them.

With respect to such issues as the Diaoyu Islands and the South China Sea, we have acted firmly to uphold our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests while working hard to appropriately handle and resolve disputes with neighboring countries through dialogue and negotiation. On the North Korean nuclear issue, while firmly committed to the goal of denuclearization on the Peninsula, we have actively reached out to relevant countries to move the situation on the Peninsula towards relaxation.

3. Vigorously working to strengthen friendship and cooperation with developing countries: President Xi’s successful visits to Africa and Latin America have fully reflected the great importance we attach to developing countries. By visiting Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of the Congo, President Xi set a precedent for a Chinese head of state to visit Africa during his first overseas trip.

By visiting Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica and Mexico and holding bilateral talks with leaders of eight Caribbean countries, President Xi enhanced China's political trust and result-oriented cooperation with them and brought China's overall cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean to new heights.

4. Deeply engaging in and shaping processes of multilateral diplomacy. When meeting leaders of international organizations, President Xi stressed China's commitment to the advocacy and practice of multilateralism and the great value it places on the important role of the United Nations and other international organizations. China will honor its international obligations and work in close cooperation with relevant international organizations in maintaining world peace and security, promoting human development and progress and addressing global issues and challenges. Fresh progress has been made in China's relations with major international organizations. Attending the Fifth BRICS Leaders' Meeting in Durban, South Africa, President Xi worked for closer communication and coordination with other major developing countries on global economic and political matters of great consequence and brought about progress in building BRICS mechanisms. The Summit issued the eThekwini Declaration and Action Plan and resolved to establish a development bank and a contingent reserve arrangement among BRICS countries, thus providing a strong impetus to the establishment of a new international political and economic order that is fairer and more equitable.

The Party Central Committee with President Xi Jinping as General Secretary has made innovative headway on the basis of past achievements. A sound beginning has thus been achieved in our diplomatic work. With the layout being more comprehensive and more balanced, China's diplomacy under new circumstances displays such features as rich ideas, clear priorities, firm positions, flexible approaches and distinctive styles. This has not only attracted greater interest of all parties to further grow relations with China, and paved the way for sound diplomatic work in the latter half of the year and even the next five to ten years, but also boosted the morale of the Party, the army and the people, thus greatly galvanizing the enthusiasm of our Party and our people of all ethnic groups to work for the realization of the "two centenary goals" as set by the 18th Party Congress.

II. Innovations in diplomatic theory and practice have resulted in major achievements.

Confronted with a highly complex international situation, the Party Central Committee with President Xi Jinping as General Secretary has carried forward the Party's fine tradition of linking theory with practice, made courageous explorations by combining domestic affairs with foreign affairs and integrating Chinese features with the trend of the times, and achieved a series of major breakthroughs in diplomatic theory and practice within a very short period of time. Displaying a strong resolve for innovation, a broad, strategic and forward-looking global perspective, and a capacity to command the overall situation, the Party Central Committee has provided a powerful guarantee in both theory and practice for innovative diplomatic work and better use of the important period of strategic opportunity.

1. Putting forth the important thinking of the Chinese dream with profoundly enriched contents with a view to boosting exchanges and cooperation between China and the rest of the world.

During his trips abroad and meetings with visiting foreign guests at home since the 18th Party Congress, President Xi has spoken profusely to leaders and people of foreign countries on the important thinking of the Chinese dream, namely, to achieve the great renewal of the Chinese nation.

President Xi has emphatically pointed out that the Chinese dream is shared by the Chinese people of all ethnic groups and cherished by each and every individual in the country. The Chinese dream requires a peaceful and stable international and neighboring environment, and China is committed to realizing the dream through peaceful development. Since the Chinese dream is closely linked with the dreams of other peoples around the world, China is committed to helping other countries, developing countries and neighboring countries in particular, with their development while achieving development of its own. China will share more development opportunities with other countries so as to facilitate their efforts to realize their dreams. China hopes to see win-win cooperation and common development with the rest of the world.