With Xi's speech, China systematizes its conception of foreign policy.

247, with Diário do Povo - In a speech delivered at the Central Conference on Foreign Affairs Work held last Friday (22) and Saturday (23) in Beijing, Xi, who is also General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed the importance of keeping in mind both domestic and international imperatives, focusing on realizing the revitalization of the Chinese nation, promoting human progress and contributing to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

He also called for efforts to firmly safeguard China's sovereignty, security, and development interests, actively participate in leading the reform of the global governance system, and build a more comprehensive network of global partnerships, in order to make new advances in great-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, create an enabling environment, and make due contributions to the comprehensive building of a moderately prosperous society and a great modern socialist country in all respects.

The conference was chaired by Li Keqiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council. Also participating in the event were: Li Zhanshu, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress; Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee; Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC Central Committee; Han Zheng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council; and Vice President Wang Qishan.

Xi highlighted that since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012, facing the vicissitudes of the international situation, China has overcome difficulties to promote great-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in a pioneering model under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, having withstood numerous challenges, 'cracked tough nuts' and achieved breakthroughs of historical significance.

Through these practices, China has accumulated useful experience and concluded that conducting foreign affairs requires taking into account both the domestic and international situations, maintaining strategic confidence and resolve, promoting innovation in diplomatic theory and practice, boosting strategic planning, advancing the diplomatic agenda globally, defending China's core and primary interests, maintaining win-win cooperation and fairness while pursuing shared interests, and considering worst-case scenarios and risks.

"We have firmly maintained the trend of China and the world's development in the new era since the 18th National Congress of the CPC and have made a series of important innovations in foreign affairs in theory and practice, thus shaping the thinking on socialist diplomacy with Chinese characteristics for a new era," Xi said.

The Chinese leader highlighted the main aspects of this thinking:

- Maintain the authority of the CPC Central Committee as the dominant principle and strengthen the Party's centralized and unified leadership over external work;

- To advance the diplomacy of a large country with Chinese characteristics in order to fulfill the mission of achieving national rejuvenation;

- To consider the preservation of world peace and the pursuit of common development as the purpose for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity;

- To increase strategic confidence in socialism with Chinese characteristics as its foundation;

- To promote the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative based on the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration;

- To follow the path of peaceful development based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation;

- To develop global partnerships while advancing the diplomatic agenda;

- To lead the reform of the global governance system with the concept of impartiality and justice;

- To take core national interests as the ultimate goal in defending China's sovereignty, security, and development interests;

- To cultivate a distinctive style of Chinese diplomacy by combining the best traditions of foreign policy with the characteristics of the times.

"We must fully implement the thinking on diplomacy of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, continuously facilitate a favorable external environment for realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind," Xi pointed out.

He pointed out that, in order to have a correct assessment of the international situation, it is necessary to form an accurate understanding of history, the general situation, and China's role and position in the global model.

Xi suggested not only observing the current international situation, but also reviewing the past, summarizing historical laws, and looking to the future to better understand historical trends.

Regarding the accurate understanding of the overall situation, Xi stressed not only the observation of phenomena and details, but also a deep appreciation of the essence and overall situation, in order not to get lost in the complex and changing international situation.

He also called for a clear understanding of China's status and role in the evolution of the world model and the formulation of principles and policies for China's foreign policy in a scientific manner, through calm analyses of international phenomena and China's relationship with the rest of the world.

China is experiencing its best period of development since modern times, while the world is undergoing the most profound and unprecedented changes in a century, Xi stressed, adding that the two aspects are intertwined and interact.

He emphasized that China enjoys many favorable external conditions for implementing work related to foreign affairs now and in the coming years.

Describing the period between the 19th and 20th National Congress of the CPC as "a historic turning point for realizing China's two centenary goals," Xi said the period is of great significance in the historical progress of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Throughout human history, the development of the world has always been the result of contradictions that intertwine and interact with one another, Xi said.

Xi called for a thorough analysis of the law regarding how the international situation changes as the world enters its transition period, and a precise understanding of the basic characteristics of the external environment that China is facing at this historic juncture, in order to better plan and facilitate the country's work on foreign affairs.

Xi emphasized that the country's foreign policy should be based on the overall plan of the CPC Central Committee and should further improve its design and highlight its priorities.

External work should focus on the important aspects of the Party's and the country's work to open new paths, because in the next five years, the country's first centenary goal must be achieved and the process of achieving the second must begin, with a series of significant moments and events in the period, he recalled.

The banner of a community with a shared future for humanity must be upheld to help make the world's governance system fairer and more reasonable, and the Belt and Road Initiative must be consolidated and deepened to take the country's openness to a new level, he continued.

He also highlighted the strengthening of the country's foreign relations, including relations with major powers, neighboring countries, and developing countries.

Xi said that diplomacy represents the will of the state and diplomatic power should reside with the CPC Central Committee, while foreign policy is a systematic project.

He called on political parties, the government, people's assemblies, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the army, local authorities, and the public to improve their coordination and make their own contributions, in order to form a new situation for foreign work under the overall leadership of the Party that coordinates all aspects and ensures that the foreign policies and strategies of the CPC Central Committee are implemented.

Emphasizing that cadres are decisive factors after setting the political course, Xi called for a strong team of foreign affairs professionals who are loyal to the CPC, the country and the people, and who are politically sound, professionally competent and strongly disciplined in their conduct.

He urged foreign affairs officials to strengthen their ideal and conviction-based education to improve their skills and overall quality. He also called for improved living conditions for officials working abroad to alleviate their anxieties.

Xi emphasized that reforming institutions and mechanisms related to foreign relations is a domestic requirement to advance modernization in the state's governance system and governance capabilities.

He called for the implementation of reforms to the institutions and mechanisms related to foreign relations, under the decision of the Party's central leadership, and for the promotion of Party-building within overseas institutions to form an administrative mechanism that meets the requirements of the new era.

While presiding over the conference, Li Keqiang said that General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech comprehensively summarized the historic progress China has made in foreign affairs since the 18th National Congress of the CPC and firmly maintained the trend of development in China and the world based on the overall situation of the Party and the country's cause.

Li said that Xi's speech presented a clear direction for work on foreign affairs in the new era and provided fundamental guidance.

He called for a full understanding and complete implementation of Xi Jinping's discourse and thought on diplomacy of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, in order to advance work on foreign relations on all fronts.

In delivering closing remarks at the conference, Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said that the most important outcome of this conference was establishing the guiding position of Xi Jinping Thought on diplomacy.

Xi Jinping's thinking on diplomacy is an important part of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Yang emphasized.

"It is a major theoretical breakthrough in the thinking on state governance in the field of diplomacy by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and a fundamental guideline for China's foreign policy in the new era," Yang indicated.

"We must integrate our thoughts and actions into General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech and Xi Jinping's thought on diplomacy, and make new advances in China's foreign policy," he concluded.