Chapter I: Stocktaking and Strategizing China-CEEC Cooperation

How to Understand China’s Current Diplomacy?——A CEEC Perspective[1]

Viorel Isticioaia-Budura[2]

Please allow me to confess how privileged I feel to join you in this plenary session and to congratulate all the organisers of the 7th China-CEEC Think Tank Symposium. You proposed an inspiring topic, inviting to a timely debate.

It is in this spirit that I would like to share with you a few thoughts on how I see the diplomacy facing the turbulent times.

I am sure, in recent years, all of you noticed how the Government of People’s Republic of China pursued a more active foreign policy, with an increasingly demanding agenda, and the Chinese diplomats and representatives abroad displayed a wider and remarkable engagement with foreign partners at various levels.

Unfortunately, for more than one year, in many other countries, the COVID-19 pandemic has been exploited to accumulate political capital, contributing to the escalation of racial conflicts and intensification of geopolitical tensions. It undermined efforts for building trust and organising global collective action, which is desperately needed to control the pandemic.

The diplomatic approaches and actions of Chinese Government aimed constantly at ensuring effective and targeted responses to the pandemic. And this behaviour was still visible in its international action.

I am sure, you all are familiar with the traditional and well-established lines and principles of China’s diplomatic policy and practice.

In the 72 years since the establishment of the People’s Republic, China established a new kind of diplomatic relations with other countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefit;secured an equal position and dignity on the global stage;developed a diplomatic action aiming at safeguarding and strengthening national independence, protecting national security and territorial integrity;settled the border disputes left over from history with most neighbours by peaceful means, contributing to the regional stability;established strong friendships with the vast majority of developing countries through mutual support.

You may recall how the end of the Cold War found China focused on an intense policy of Good Neighbor Diplomacy approach, improving relations with Southeast Asian countries, Japan, and Republic of Korea. Increasingly confident and aware of its potential, China’s approach shifted toward “major-country diplomacy”, and In the following years, the Government embraced “multi-faceted diplomacy”, characterized by the slogan “great powers are key, neighboring countries are very important, developing countries provide a foundation, and multilateralism provides the setting.”

In this spirit, at the United Nations and in various other international organizations, People’s Republic of China gradually increased its credibility and influence through remarkable contribution on development aid, peace and security issues. Launched many regional and international initiatives creating substantial and wider opportunities for bilateral and multilateral cooperation since 2013, many initiatives took a more ambitious and wider dimension. As of 2020, the Belt and Road Initiative included 138 countries with a combined GDP of 29 trillion dollars and some 4. 6 billion people.

I am sure, many of you following the China foreign affairs agenda are familiar with the way in which the president of People’s Repubic of China, Xi Jingping, in major statements has repeatedly said that China does not have a plan of challenging the international system and has focused on the importance of being a responsible member of the global society. And in this spirit, a substantial number of meaningful concepts of foreign policy have been offered and implemented in the Chinese diplomatic activities. A simple and relevant inventory, and briefly I mention （1）“new security” emphasizing shared and cooperative security, （2）“peaceful development” focusing on non-violence commitment, （3）“win-win” cooperation denying a zero-sum comprehension of international affairs, and （4）building a “harmonious world” that promoting harmony with diversity, solving conflict through dialogue, and democratization of world governance.

At the same time, I notice how many do understand and read all those subject to their own culture, political values and policies. And they translate or interpret the above-mentioned concepts of the Chinese policies in a very different and puzzling way.

A brief review of foreign media would bring you a challenging list of colourful labels: “wolf-warrior diplomacy” “vaccine diplomacy” “debt-trap-diplomacy”, and many others, a vocabulary mostly meant to incriminate, demonize, or, at least, deride and intimidate.

In many respects, we all know that diplomacy is about damage control or at least a fair management. Unfortunately, a lot of damage been done recently: The EU’s sanctions against China have caused deep disappointment, China’s strong counter-sanctions have in turn dismayed the EU because they were perceived as disproportionate. While both sides are still trying to understand each other’s strategy, there is a consensus that relations have to be re-balanced and cooled down. The conclusion of the China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment （CAI）is a case in point. It was negotiated tenaciously over seven years;towards the end of 2020, entrenched resistance was suddenly overcome quickly and the agreement was signed, but now was shelved. Isn’t that a big loss for both sides?

Naturally, in different regions of the world, governments and diplomatic observers understand and read all these subject to their own culture, political values and policies. In our part of the world, we may expect to value a tailored effort to decipher China’s ongoing diplomatic strategy keeping in mind our current regional status, the history of bilateral relations with Beijing.

This may encourage, in the beneficial framework of the Think Tanks Network, a further and less conventional consideration of new and significant developments. Now, we have to recognise that China’s framework of cooperation with CEEC added geopolitical complexity to the region. Not only for our management and the implementation of the European Union’s policies and projects.

But I believe that need to retain and value features of China’s diplomacy relevant for us, here in the region:

China is still preserving and cherishing the fundamental components of state sovereignty, the state independence, national unity and territorial integrity, all as enshrined in the UN Charter.

On various occasions, Chinese diplomacy reminds the need to praise and recall the lessons of history. And we know from our history what they mean. So many lessons, still relevant in today’s world. As you may have noticed, in general, in Asia, the history is still written, the old wounds are not fully healed. As proved by the sensitivities in the North-East Asia and in the South and South East Asia. Unfortunately, we still may question to what extent our partners in the EU and some big powers are still fully aware and factoring in their policies these aspects, many of them part of their own past policies and deeds. As for the Chinese people there are many past lessons and events still imprinting today’s policies and positions. This it is not very different for us, here, in a region which bore and fully felt the historical brunt of the geopolitical clashes between big empires and the bad vibrations of the fault lines. Of course, the European Union offers and still is our unique chance for reconciliation and healing. But we can see that Chinese discourse on national identity and dignity is still relevant.

On relations with the EU, definitely China is recognising their value and significance. Along the years established a comprehensive partnership, a number of cooperative mechanisms. My feeling is that most of the Chinese experts are still trying to figure out how the label of “systemic rival” has found its way in the extensive portfolio of European concepts distilled from decades of cooperation and expanding relationship. What they probably noticed is the way in which our EU choices are still subject to historical and ideological factors, in spite of the Fall of Wall of Berlin and claims of getting over East-West divide, plus the persistence or reactivation of various interest groups with unchecked bearing on policymaking.

With your kind permission I will state the obvious. The international developments continue to be shaped by a few prominent factors: return of the great powers competition, the Fourth Technological Revolution, the challenges faced by various political systems existing in the world. China is a relevant part in all of them. The COVID-19 pandemic just accelerated and magnified these impacts. We need to watch and try our best to understand how we manage and deal with these. We still stand a good chance!

In watching Chines diplomacy I will assume a careful reading, at times, making extensive use of my advantage of knowing the language. Trying to read not only the Chinese characters, but also the Chinse minds. To understand the real persons beyond the calibrated diplomatic language or the ceremonial meetings. Read carefully. Talk openly, as you may often do. And I am sure, we all will discover that beyond diplomacy there are real people. There are friends!

---

[1] This is the speech issued on the opening ceremony of the 7th China-CEEC Hign Level Think-Tank Symposium.

[2] H. E. Mr. Viorel Isticioaia Budura: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People’s Republic of China and Mongolia.