The 1 September 2010 edition of the Qiushi Magazine carried Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi's article on diplomacy surrounding the World Expo. The full text is as follows:
Time flies. A century has passed before the relentless efforts of the Chinese nation culminated in the realization of two long-cherished dreams in the first decade of the 21st century. Hosting the Olympic Games and the World Expo are two milestones in China's march from a weak and closed country to a prosperous and open one. They also mark two key steps in China's full integration into and interaction with the world and open a new chapter in China's diplomacy.
A Grand Diplomatic Event in Tune with Our Times
Like the Beijing Olympic Games, the Shanghai World Expo is a large international gathering that reflects the spirit of cooperation, development and progress, a grand diplomatic event that attracts worldwide attention. But the World Expo is different in that it lasts longer, has more participants, and covers more fields. As the first developing country playing host to a registered international exposition, China is also the first to put forward the idea of World Expo diplomacy. Summit diplomacy, people-to-people diplomacy, green diplomacy, economic diplomacy and public diplomacy have come together at the Shanghai Expo to form a colorful scroll of Expo diplomacy, enhancing friendship and cooperation between China and other countries and enriching China's diplomacy in the new era.
Summit diplomacy has yielded notable achievements. As many as 246 countries and international organizations have participated in the Expo. More than 50 foreign heads of state and government have visited the Expo site in the first four months, with many more scheduled to arrive in the coming months. The unprecedented number of participants and high-level guests makes the Expo an important platform for national leaders to enhance dialogue, showcase their countries and deepen friendship and cooperation. We have made good use of the Expo for intensive bilateral engagements and productive summit diplomacy.
The opening ceremony provided a good opportunity for summit diplomacy. President Hu Jintao and other CPC and state leaders, together with more than 50 heads of state and government, speakers, royal family members, heads of international organizations and dignitaries witnessed the historic moment. In just four days around the opening of the Expo, President Hu had meetings or talks with 20 heads of state and government and held welcoming ceremonies for seven of them on state visits to China. CPPCC Chairman Jia Qinglin gave warm remarks at the opening ceremony of the Expo site. The opening ceremony involved a great many high-level guests, large events and complex protocol arrangements. Thanks to meticulous planning, we made appropriately arrangements for state visits and visits to the pavilions, worked out smooth protocol procedures, and ensured strong logistical support. Well received by participants and guests, these efforts marked a good start of Expo diplomacy.
National pavilion day activities are also good opportunities for high-level dialogue and interactions. These are almost daily events and have been attended by a range of foreign dignitaries. The activities have created one bright spot after another, during which Chinese and foreign leaders had in-depth exchanges and dialogue for better development and practical cooperation.
There was a touching story on the day of the opening ceremony. Learning that President George Abela of Malta slipped and hurt himself in his hotel, the Foreign Ministry immediately activated the emergency response mechanism. After a long day of bilateral meetings, President Hu paid a visit to President Abela in the hospital and instructed that a plane be provided with a Chinese team to fly President Abela back home. President Abela was deeply moved by this gesture and said many times that everything China had done for him reflected the friendship of a big country towards Malta. The gesture was well received by the media and the public in Malta. It illustrated the irreplaceable role of summit diplomacy in strengthening state-to-state and people-to-people friendship.
The Expo is an opportunity for all-round diplomacy as well. Participants in the Expo included both China's neighbors and guests from afar, both developed countries from Europe and America and developing countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America, both national institutions and international organizations. It is an important opportunity to engage in all-round, multi-tiered and wide-ranging diplomacy and deepen friendly relations with the countries of the world.
"A harmonious world begins in the neighborhood." We see the Expo as an opportunity to boost good-neighborliness and friendship with our neighbors. A total of 22 neighboring countries have built pavilions and exhibition areas with national characteristics to showcase their development achievements and diverse culture. Japan set up a multi-party parliamentary alliance for the Expo, a testament to Japanese politicians' friendship towards China. The Republic of Korea, as the host of a recognized international exhibition in Yeosu in 2012, sees the Shanghai Expo as an opportunity to deepen cooperation and mutual learning with China.
An important part of our work was to encourage the participation of major countries in the Expo. Russia broke with past practice of only renting a pavilion for exhibition and built its own pavilion. The United States managed to complete the construction of its pavilion on time. For the first time, the EU participated in an Expo held outside Europe and sent its best exhibits. A member of the European Parliament (EP) suffered a heart attack at the Expo site but received timely medical attention from the Chinese side, prompting the EP Speaker to send a letter of appreciation to his counterpart, NPC Chairman Wu Bangguo. The talks between Premier Wen Jiabao and EU leaders in Beijing also played an important role in enhancing China-EU ties.
We have followed the basic principle of giving active support to other developing countries participating in the Expo and treating them as equals irrespective of their size. We have assisted in the building of a Africa Joint Pavilion, helping African countries to appear collectively at the Expo for the first time in their history. The African pavilion has become one of the most popular sites. When attending the opening of their national pavilions, some representatives from developing countries were full of tears of joy. A representative of San Marino said, "My country only has 30,000 people, but our pavilion receives 15,000 visitors a day. We are deeply moved by the deep interest in us." Saudi Arabia put in more than 1 billion RMB yuan to build its pavilion, a testament to the high importance it places on its friendly relations with China.
Vital to the success of the Expo is the effort to create a good international environment and prevent unnecessary interference from external emergencies and international disputes. Given the great number of participants and complexity and sensitivity of foreign-related issues, we have made arrangements to properly handle the choice of national pavilion days on the same day, the sequence of flags of official participants and controversial contents in some exhibitions, thus ensuring the smooth progress of the Expo.
People-to-people diplomacy is active during the Expo. "Amity between people holds the key to sound relations between states." The Shanghai Expo has created a great many opportunities for exchanges and interactions between Chinese people and foreigners, fostering a unique sight during the Expo.
There are interactions between governments and the public. National pavilion day and international organization honor day activities are no longer confined to the Expo site. Rather, some have been held in local communities. The Shanghai municipal government and the Bureau of Expo Coordination have arranged for more than 100 urban neighborhoods and rural towns to interact with participating countries and international organizations. This way, foreign leaders and staff directly engage the public, and the people of Shanghai can taste the charm of diplomacy.
The stories of ordinary people vividly illustrate the beauty of people-to-people diplomacy. Tomiyo Yamada, a Japanese housewife known as the "Expo grandma", has visited 373 pavilions in 38 days. The drivers of the buses she took every day invited her over to spend the Dragon Boat Festival and make rice dumplings together. Expo volunteers, both Chinese and non-Chinese, have served as "folk ambassadors" spreading friendship. The "Expo Families" in Shanghai, by providing food and accommodation to foreign visitors, have become a bridge of friendship and a vivid footnote to the idea of "Better City, Better Life." People-to-people diplomacy, diverse in form, closes the distance between countries and regions and connects people around the world, and helps to build stronger public support for China's diplomacy.
Green diplomacy has been varied and colorful. The "low-carbon practice" is an innovation in the history of the Expo and an important experiment in low-carbon life style. It contributes to relevant international cooperation and provides a golden opportunity for green diplomacy.
As a magnet for green technology, the Expo is an important platform for international cooperation on climate change. During the Expo, leaders of various countries have had extensive and in-depth exchanges of views on low-carbon economy and sustainable development. Government and business participants all appreciate the importance of green development and have participated actively in relevant seminars and business discussions. The United Nations Environment Programme is due to issue an assessment report after the Expo to "introduce the green wisdom converged in Shanghai to every corner of the world."
China has missed no opportunity to include "green Expo" as a key topic of the Shanghai Expo. President Hu Jintao and other CPC and state leaders have reached extensive agreement with visiting foreign leaders on working together to address climate change and other global challenges. China took very seriously the special concerns expressed by island countries like the Maldives and Micronesia and put forward proposals for stronger cooperation as well as having in-depth discussions with European and African leaders about cooperation on clean energy and training experts on environmental protection. China's position and proposals were favorably received and helped to build consensus and inject new impetus into the global efforts to tackle climate change.
Economic diplomacy has been expanded and deepened. The Shanghai Expo is held at a time when the world economy starts to emerge from the shadow of the international financial crisis, yet the foundation of recovery is not firmly established. China's robust economic growth, vast market potential and dynamic development model have thus drawn greater attention from the world. Many countries place high expectations on the Expo. For us, it is a great opportunity for conducting economic diplomacy in the new era. Great efforts have been made to encourage extensive participation despite the impact of the financial crisis. The wider-than-expected participation provides a catalyst for China's economic and social development and a boost to the participating countries' economic confidence. We want to promote economic cooperation through good political ties and improve political relations through economic cooperation. We have facilitated exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and foreign businesses, thus contributing to the "bringing in" and "going out" business strategies. Huawei Technologies and other Chinese enterprises are active in Expo-related foreign affairs. They have received several dozen delegations of foreign heads of state and government ministers and, in the process, shown to the world the vitality of Chinese enterprises.
Countries around the world view the Expo as a precious opportunity to strengthen economic cooperation with China. Many have sent heavyweight delegations to promote their economic strengths in the hope of expanding economic ties with China. Australia plans to organize as many as one hundred business activities in the course of the Expo; several dozen large South African businesses will appear at the Expo to seek business opportunities in new and high technology; various regions of Spain have had road shows in Shanghai and nearby cities to tap into the potential of the Chinese market. Facilitated by the government, Chinese enterprises have made full use of the Expo to strengthen economic links with foreign partners, laying a solid foundation for friendly relations between China and other countries.
Public and cultural diplomacy has made great strides. The six-month- long Expo, with its extensive participation, has attracted great attention from Chinese and foreign media. It has become a global platform for public diplomacy, and more importantly, a bridge for international exchanges and an important window into China. The Expo has seen many breakthroughs and innovations in public and cultural diplomacy. We have invited 100 journalists from 67 developing countries in a joint delegation and organized two groups of foreign correspondents based in China to come to Shanghai to conduct multi-faceted and in-depth coverage of the Expo. Some senior Chinese ambassadors revealed interesting stories in preparing for the Expo in exclusive interviews or online chats. Chinese diplomatic and consular missions overseas organized diverse activities related to the Expo, such as special exhibitions, community outreach, procession of festooned vehicles and ringing of the NASDAQ opening bell in honor of the Expo, triggering a wave of "Expo fever" in many parts of the world.
The Expo is also a big occasion for cultural exchanges. It is a meeting place of the world's civilizations and cultures: Chinese painting "Spring on the Bian River", Denmark's Little Mermaid statue, Egypt's gold Pharaoh mask, Mexico's Oaxaca Marimbas and the Burundi drum, just to name a few. Some 20,000 cultural performances will be staged during the Expo, offering a feast of global cultures up close to Chinese and foreign visitors. These cultural events connect minds and countries and, at a time when countries place more importance on building soft power, play a unique and vital role in advancing cross-cultural dialogues, advocating the vision of peace, development and cooperation and delivering the message of China's peaceful development to the world.
Summary of Successful Experience and Ideas for the Future
The Expo diplomacy has got off to a good start. To better guide our work in the coming months, it is important to systematically review past experience and draw some conclusions:
First, it is important to view the overall objective and purpose of Expo diplomacy from a strategic height and long-term perspective. The eight years from China's bidding for the Expo to preparations and hosting of Expo saw deeper changes in the world than ever since the end of the Cold War. Major events such as the September 11 terrorist attack, the Iraq war and the international financial crisis have accelerated major adjustments of the world economy, major reforms of the international system and major shifts in global power. China, being the fastest growing economy with rising international standing, is confronted with unprecedented opportunities and challenges. The growing prominence of global issues and the nexus of traditional and non-traditional security challenges also have complex implications for the successful hosting of the World Expo.
The CPC Central Committee and the State Council took stock of the situation and accurately grasped the historic changes in the international landscape and in China's relationship with the world. The decision to integrate hosting of the Expo with China's overall development strategy and the lofty cause of world peace and development reflects China's firm commitment to achieve its own development through reform and opening up and promote world peace and prosperity with its own development. This also meets the expectation of the international community and their desire for stronger cooperation with China.
Under the strong leadership of the Central Government and in light of China's national interests and overall foreign relations, we have identified the Expo as a key priority and integral part of this year's diplomatic work. Efforts have been made to properly handle various external risks and challenges, overcome difficulties and create highlights, thus magnifying the overall effects of the Expo for the benefit of China's overall development agenda and diplomatic work.
Second, it is important to make scientific plans and carry out sound coordination. Expo diplomacy is intricate and complex, putting to test our ability to provide all-round service and logistic support. We have turned the Expo into a platform for foreign exchanges. By aligning the hosting of the Expo with efforts to deepen foreign relations, we have worked hard to facilitate interactions, both bilaterally and multilaterally, through government and non-government channels, and combine country/ region-specific diplomacy with diplomacy in functional areas. We have set up a multi-agency task force for coordinating Expo-related foreign affairs and a sound mechanism of inter-agency meetings. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other related departments sent a joint working group to Shanghai to institutionalize and standardize relevant work and increase efficiency. We have also made full use of the extensive reach and resources of China's diplomatic and consular missions. Chinese diplomats at home and abroad have also enhanced coordination. The result has been satisfactory.
Third, it's important to make breakthroughs and innovations. If the Olympic diplomacy was an intensive effort,then the diplomacy surrounding the World Expo is a continuous effort. Building on the success of the Olympic Games, we have worked creatively according to the situation and features of the World Expo to showcase China's own characteristics while meeting the international standards, address development issues while enhancing bilateral relations, and turn public enthusiasm into the driving force of our diplomatic work. We have helped some small or poor countries build joint pavilions, so that they could join the Expo family after having long been absent from it. We have invited foreign heads of state to interact with locals and organized reporting activities for journalists from the developing countries, thus launching new forms of public diplomacy. Our overseas diplomatic and consular missions, with their knowledge about local interests and needs, have incorporated promotion of the Expo into the promotion of Chinese culture, facilitation of trade and investment opportunities and expansion of people-to-people and cultural exchanges, making Expo promotion more rich in content and diverse in form. We have established the position of Deputy Commissioner General of the Chinese Government for the Expo and appointed 30 former ambassadors to this post. They have done a lot to help coordinate protocol and reception work. In sum, the diplomacy surrounding the Expo has developed many new features, demonstrating the innovativeness of China's diplomacy.
Fourth, it is important to integrate local foreign affairs into the country's overall diplomacy. The Expo is a tough task and test for local foreign affairs, raising the standard for their contribution to the country's overall diplomacy. We enhanced policy guidance and day-to-day coordination with local governments concerning foreign affairs, while supporting their initiative at the same time. This has ensured the efficient and smooth conduct of our work. Under the leadership of the Central Government, the CPC Committee and municipal government of Shanghai and the local foreign affairs staff have shown a deep awareness of political responsibility and strong sense of mission, surmounted all kinds of difficulties and made a tremendous contribution to the successful opening of the Expo, raising the level of local foreign affairs work in the process. The entire nation has worked as one and pooled resources. This is a key contributing factor to the success of Expo diplomacy.
A New Starting-point
The successful hosting of the Olympic Games and the World Expo has far-reaching significance, as it coincides with the historic changes taking place in the international landscape and China's relations with the world. As we continue to work for a successful World Expo, we are also thinking about what changes the two grand events will bring to China and the world and about the future of China's foreign affairs. The answer to this is increasingly clear.
China's development is at a new starting point. Our hosting of the Olympic Games and the World Expo is the culmination of a century of development. From the dream of hosting the World Expo by visionary Chinese personages over one hundred years ago to the hosting of the event today, from the 12 packs of delicate Huzhou silk sent by China to the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations in London in 1851 to the advanced technologies, "green" venues and pursuit of "better life" showcased by the Shanghai Expo, the long journey has displayed China's 5000-year civilization and fast development thanks to reform and opening-up and presented China's image as a civilized, open and harmonious country in continuous progress. More people in the world begin to see China objectively and welcome its peaceful development.
The hosting of the Olympic Games and the World Expo has added new impetus to China's future development. The two events have contributed to China's economic and social development and friendly cooperation with other countries, and have given us the opportunity to learn, compare notes and catch up. Being a developing country, China still has much more to learn from others. By expanding our vision through communication and making innovation through exchanges, we will take firmer steps in our journey ahead.
China's relations with the world are at a new starting point. The Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai Expo have put China in a prominent position on the world stage, and accelerated China's integration into the world.
China's international standing has been enhanced. The two events have shown to the world what China has, what it needs and what it can provide. China has growing strength and exciting development prospects, and the readiness to assume more international responsibilities according to its capability. Being the first developing country to host a World Expo, China needs equality for developing countries and broader North-South exchanges and cooperation. With further development, China will provide the world with more and better public goods and make greater contribution to the world. The two events vividly illustrate China's dedication to peace, development and cooperation and demonstrate that China is an important force for world peace and common development.
China's international image has become more favorable. In hosting the Olympic Games, we have overcome many risks and challenges, battled against international hostile forces, and successfully demonstrated China's charm through sport, thus completing the difficult task of establishing our image. In hosting the World Expo, we have overcome the impact of the international financial crisis and displayed our development prospects through the Expo as an economic platform, fulfilling the difficult task of restoring people's confidence in the economy. The two events have enhanced China's soft power as well as its image as a responsible country.
China's integration into the world is gathering pace. Throughout the process of bidding, preparing for and hosting of the Olympic Games and the World Expo, we have increased knowledge of international institutions and norms and our ability to use them, thus becoming more integrated into the world. By encouraging extensive participation of our people, we have increased their international awareness and speeded up the growth of professionals with multiple skills and an international outlook, thus accumulating experience and setting the stage for deeper interaction between China and the world.
The world is deepening understanding of and cooperation with China. The Beijing Olympics has shown the world a China full of dynamism and warmth; the Shanghai Expo will show to the world China's wisdom and development. The two events will push forward exchanges and dialogue between the Chinese people and people across the world, and facilitate exchanges among civilizations. The international community will become all the more willing to cooperate with China as a result.
China's foreign affairs are at a new starting point. We prepared for and hosted the two events in the first decade of the 21st century, a crucial period in China's peaceful development and a period in which we made many achievements despite daunting challenges and difficulties in China's diplomacy. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, we lost no time in seizing the opportunities, rose to the occasions, and succeeded in staging the events, overcoming crisis, promoting development and establishing China's positive image. With these efforts, we have written a new chapter in the diplomacy of China as a large country with its own characteristics.
Our diplomatic posture has become more all-rounded. The Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai Expo, together with other major events, have deepened our friendly cooperation with other countries. Our summit diplomacy has become more active, bilateral interactions more effective, and our relations with major countries deepened. We have developed closer common interests with neighboring countries and greater cooperation with other developing nations, creating more favorable conditions for upholding a generally stable international environment.
The content and the methods of our diplomacy have both been enriched. The two events have enabled us to enrich our diplomatic theories and practice with Chinese characteristics. We have better understood the goal of diplomacy to serve domestic development, become more capable in handling complex situations, coordinated our work in the fields of politics, economy, science and technology, public services and culture, and made breakthroughs in building China's soft power. These achievements provide stronger guarantee for our efforts to safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests.
"We must take a long-term view", as Chairman Mao wrote in a poem. Entering the second decade of the 21st century, we see in front of us opportunities and challenges, leaving China's diplomacy a great role to play. We will adopt a strategic and comprehensive perspective, bear in mind our basic national conditions as a country in the primary stage of socialism, and make a sustained effort to pursue peaceful development and win-win outcomes. We will intensify friendly cooperation with all countries and work for a harmonious world of lasting peace and shared prosperity, so that China will enjoy more political influence, economic competitiveness, international appeal and moral support. And we will make greater contribution to building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and promoting world peace and development.