113. On previous visits by North Korean leaders, including those of Kim Jong Un’ father and grandfather, the visits were not announced until after they had left the country and were on their way home. For further details see 郑泽光, ‘新时代的中国特色大国外交’, 国 际问题研究 (Zheng Zeguang, ‘The diplomacy of great powers with Chinese character- istics in the new era’, Research on international issues) n. 3, 2018. A United Airlines flight from San Francisco taxis at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province in July 2016. [104] That said, the summit was characterized by a particular closeness between China and the European Union, which was by no means obvious. The increased focus on developing a more effective, forward-leaning foreign policy is supported by further strong increases in the foreign affairs budget and efforts to strengthen the diplomatic corps (see part 4 and part 5 of this series). China's foreign policy today is summarized as strategic relations with neighboring countries and the world's superpowers to strive for China's national interest, and to create a favorable environment for China's domestic development for perpetual competition in the world in the long-run. [117], 7.1. For his part, the Chinese president stated that the two neighbours had to move in a «new historic direction» by working together at a time of growing global «instability and uncertainty». Rick Noak, ‘All of Africa is now competing for Chinese money. The Chinese government prefers the use of the more neutral term when referring to the Djibouti base, such as «support base» (保障基地), «logistical facility» (后 勤设施), or «protective facility» (防护设施). The United States works to achieve concrete progress on U.S. interests, including ensuring Chinese support for […] [47] Above all, the main message of the Dalian meeting, as pointed out by Scott Snyder and See-won Byun, was that Beijing would be included «in the process designed to pave the way for new political arrangements on the peninsula». Pakistan was considered by far the largest country at high risk, with Beijing reportedly financing about 80 percent of its estimated US$ 62 billion additional debt. 40. Ryan Pickrell, ‘US B-52 bombers tore through the South China Sea in a power play ahead of a sit-down between the US and the Chinese defence chiefs’, Business Insider, 18 October 2018. [44] That was a worthy accolade for all of China’s previous efforts, and one that allowed Beijing to save its face, finally. Washington imposed three rounds of tariffs on Chinese products, totaling US$ 250 billion worth of goods. 61. 112. Ankit Panda, ‘China’s Li Zhanshu to Visit North Korea As Xi Jinping’s Special Representative’, The Diplomat, 5 September 2018. Michael Smith, ‘Victoria goes it alone with support for China’s Belt and Road’, Financial Review, 26 October 2018. 73. The Beidaihe meeting – held annually in the resort town in Hebei province – is where China’s leaders and elders from earlier generations meet in an informal setting in summer time for closed-door discussions that will set the tone for major domestic issues. 68. Karishma Vashwani, ‘Huawei arrest of Meng Wanzhou: A «hostage» in a new US-China tech war’, BBC news, 6 December 2018. Click here to subscribe for full access. [45] For his part, Xi was reportedly emphasizing the restoration of the «traditional friendship» as fellow socialist countries, underscoring the «irreplaceably significant» role of high-level exchanges to the development of strategic communication, mutual trust, and the safe-guarding of common interests, and pledging to strengthen people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. On the other hand, it stimulated the strengthening of relations between China and the European Union (EU), as shown by the positive results of 20th EU-China Summit, resumed in its final Joint Statement, even despite the growing tensions around the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its impact especially in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) countries. 21. China will establish an online system to manage and regulate foreign investment, which should streamline business management and communication with the government. The fact that the 16+1 Group summit – held in Sofia on 6-7 July – was postponed by almost half a year from its original schedule, at Beijing’s initiative, to only a few days before the EU-China Summit, irritated many officials in Brussels and left some EU 16+1 members embarrassed. [49] Not surprisingly Xi Jinping emphasized more the geostrategic importance of the renewed bilateral ties than the Peninsula’s denuclearization. 15. 18. Accordingly, Washington launched what the Chinese Ministry of Commerce considered as the «largest trade war in economic history» (经 济史上规模最大的贸易战). ‘Portugal Officially Joins the Belt and Road Initiative’, Executive Intelligence Review, 5 December 2018. China and North Korea don’t see each other with any kind of mutual sympathy. [111], The Ambassadors’ report was intended to be presented during the China-EU summit in July, but reportedly it was not. The tragedy of China’s rapid development over the first 35 years has been wholesale environmental destruction. 95. 121, March 2018. 80. China’s foreign policy 2018: implementing the China Dream. During those five years, the BRI has experienced a great evolution, from an initiative solely focused on infrastructure to one which also includes industry, technology, cultural, legal and environmental components. the debts incurred by countries as they took on BRI loans from Beijing, leaving them vulnerable to China’s influence. Modi also specified that his country welcomed new connectivity projects «that are inclusive, sustainable, transparent, and those that respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations», adding that «connectivity with SCO and neighbours is a priority for India». The events that best showcased China’s new diplomatic concept and China’s opening-up drive were the three key global events the country hosted during the year under review, namely the Boao Forum for Asia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. China emerged as a major economic, diplomatic, and military power during the critical decade from 2008 to 2018. Author: Neil Thomas, University of Chicago. That said, Beijing was reportedly successful in obtaining India’s participation in its effort to rally support for China in the trade dispute with the Trump administration,[24] a matter of no secondary importance. Catherine Wong, ‘Will Donald Trump and Xi Jinping rekindle their «great chemistry» at the G20 summit?’, South China Morning Post, 26 November 2018. [123] The eight-countries list also included a European country – Montenegro – that saw a sharp increase in its debt after accepting a Chinese loan in order to construct a highway linking the port of Bar to Serbia. 17. Remarks by Vice President Pence on the Administration’s Policy Toward China. Here are five books to understand the year better – and what the future may hold. Us, Write John Hurley, Scott Morris & Gailyn Portelance, ‘Examining the Debt Implications of the Belt and Road Initiative from a Policy Perspective’, CGD Policy Paper, No. ‘China signs MOUs with 37 African countries, AU on B&R development’, Xinhuanet, 7 September 2018. Seoul has hesitated to tighten restrictions thus far, even as health authorities predict the number of daily cases might top 1,000. 52. [74] During his sharply-worded speech Pence also stated that «Authoritarianism and aggression have no place in the Indo-Pacific», clearly referencing China. Ruth Berschens & Sha Hua, ‘EU and China find new rapport in Beijing, amid US trade disputes’, Handelsblatt, 17 July 2018. This was evident by the lively debate unleashed on social media by the intervention of the well-known economist Jeffrey Sachs. Stephen R. Nagy, ‘Can Japan-China relations return to «normal»?’, The Japan Times, 23 October 2018. BUSINESS & TECH. 2. Understanding the origins and forces shaping China's foreign policy provides a framework in which to view both the changes and the continuities in Chinese foreign policy from 1949 to the late 1980s. This blog series will focus on concrete changes to China’s foreign policy leadership team, institutional structures, budgetary practices and personnel policies as well as of adjustments of its policy approach to Europe. 105. The new Commission held its first meeting on 15 May 2018, shedding light on the top policy-making body for the future country’s diplomacy, as well as its direction. multiple actors striving to influence foreign policy.[10]. 122. The commission has a coordinating role between state institutions, but is also tasked with strengthening the CCP’s role, and its general office will likely be equipped with more staff and authority than that of the previous Leading Small Group. Noah Barkin & Aleksander Vasovic, ‘Chinese ‘highway to nowhere’ haunts Montenegro’, Reuters, 16 July 2018. His appointment may indicate a shift from Chinese development cooperation being driven by short-term commercial benefit to subordination to longer-term strategic interests. [120] A study conducted by three researchers from the Washington-based think tank Center for Global Development (CGD), confirmed that BRI elevates sovereign debt risks in some countries involved in the Initiative. Katsuji Nakazawa, ‘Xi-Kim honeymoon exposed as a façade’, Asia Nikkei, 13 September 2018. «Two dogs strive for a bone, and the third runs away with it»: the unexpected consequences of the Sino-American trade war. 30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnVYlp2elLo. ‘U.S. 3. 67. [5], The process started with the establishment of an unprecedented National Security Commission (NSC), in April 2014, chaired by Xi, aimed at solving the coordination problems of both domestic and foreign policy decision-making. This could in the long term potentially derail China’s carefully laid plans, as clearly demonstrated by the attitude of India in the SCO. 59. The «great power diplomacy with Chinese characteristics» at work, As already seen in Francesca Congiu’s essay in this same issue of Asia Maior, during the first session of the 13th NPC, «Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era» (习近平新时代中国 特色社会主义思想) was introduced into the PRC’s constitution. Foreign Policy Issued on ... of record of the home state of our Ambassador to China, and a pivotal state in 2018 … 119. Wang Huning is known as a chief theorist and as the top aide supposedly behind the “China Dream” concept. The tycoon-funded vaccine drive demonstrates the durability of the patronage state that Hun Sen has built since the 1980s. [95] Besides the hotline, the agreement provided for regular meetings between both nations’ defense officials and a mechanism for their naval vessels to communicate at sea to avert maritime incidents. Addressing the forum, Kim Jeongil, director general of the FTA Policy Bureau at South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, stated that the world was witnessing growing trade protectionism, which created urgency for completing talks on the China-Japan-South Korea FTA and other multilateral trade pacts. It also reveals its weaknesses. 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