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Actively Exploring Chinese-style Party Diplomacy;
Pattern of All-dimensional External Exchanges Becoming Increasingly
Mature
Oct. 9th, 2007
CRI Online special report:
The Communist Party of China (CPC), the ruling party of the country, will
welcome its national congress in the middle of October, when the
governing lessons of the previous five years will be reviewed and
major principles and policies for the Party and the country for the
future period set out. In an exclusive interview with CRI Online,
Liu Hongcai, Vice Minister of the International Department of the
CPC Central Committee (IDCPC) reviewed with us the external
exchanges of the Party over the past five years.
CRI Online: On September 18th in the hall of the International Department
of the CPC Central Committee, Minister Wang Jiarui presented to a
group of ordinary Chinese a foreign guest he was to meet with—leader
of the Czech Social Democratic Party. The 18th is the day when the
IDCPC is open to the general public, and in the future, a growing
number of average people will be allowed to set foot into this core
agency in charge of the foreign affairs of the ruling party.
While facing her own people with a more open attitude, the CPC is also
looking at political parties of the world with the same posture. At
present, political parties the CPC associates with include not only
left-wing forces like communist parties but also nationalist
democratic parties, as well as socialist parties, labor parties,
right-wing forces like conservative parties, Christian democratic
parties and liberal parties.
Liu: Independence, complete equality, mutual respect and non-interference
in each other's internal affairs are the four principles guiding our
party's external relations. On such a basis, we stand ready to
develop a new type of exchanges and cooperation with political
parties and organizations all over the world that are willing to
engage with us. At present, the CPC has come into contacts and
exchanges with over 400 political parties and organizations from
more than 160 countries, forming a new pattern of party diplomacy
with Chinese characteristics featuring all-dimensional,
multi-channeled, wide-ranging and deep-going exchanges, which is
becoming increasingly mature.
CRI Online: Statistics show that the CPC has received over 1000 foreign
party delegations through the channel of party-to-party ties in a
short period of 5 years, among which nearly 200 are headed by main
leaders of these parties such as Mircea Dan Geoana, chairman of
Social Democratic Party of Romania, Piero Fassino, National
Secretary of Italian Democratic Party of the Left, and Wojciech
Olejniczak, Chairman of the Democratic Left Alliance of Poland, all
of whom have received exclusive interviews with CRI Online. The CPC
leadership also places high importance on outbound exchanges with
foreign political parties. According to statistics, since the 16th
Party Congress, there have been more than 50 overseas visits of
party delegations headed by members of the Political Bureau of the
CPC Central Committee and its Standing Committee, who conducted
face-to-face discussion with officials of foreign political parties.
Liu: The new stage of the new century, especially since the 16th Party
Congress, has witnessed continuous expansion and deepening of the
Party's external exchanges through more diversified forms under the
correct leadership and with direct involvement of the Central
Committee with Hu Jintao as General Secretary. Top leaders of our
party attach great importance to exchanges with foreign political
parties.
The direct exchanges and dialogue between the Chinese leadership
including General Secretary Hu and their counterparts of foreign
parities play an irreplaceable guiding role for addressing and
promoting the development of party-to-party and state-to-state
relations from a strategic and overall perspective.
CRI Online: The list of people the CPC associates with includes leaders
of both government parties and opposition parties, incumbent
political heavy weights as well as young politicians of
newly-emerging parties. There are not only important statesmen of
countries who have diplomatic ties with us, but also party leaders
from countries that are not in diplomatic relations with China.
Liu: With the aim of establishing new friendship while deepening and
renewing old one, our party has expanded its external exchanges.
Given the changes of political parties of various countries over the
past five years, our party has entered into relationship with nearly
another one hundred political parties from over 30 countries, making
new friends in the South Pacific island countries, the Middle East,
and the Central American and the Caribbean region.
CRI Online: Friends should be frank with each other. The CPC and foreign
political parties not only exchange successful lessons, but also
discuss candidly their divergences.
Liu: We not only discuss new ways to promote the development of
state-to-state relations, but also compare notes on how to run the
country and government, on how to bring prosperity to our respective
countries, and on how to address international and regional
problems. When receiving foreign guests, we not only take them to
advanced areas, but also show them the poor and backward places in
China, so that they can gain a comprehensive picture of what China
is really like.
Judging from the practice of party politics, in spite of the differences
in governing models as well the diversities in nature, belief,
platform, governing ideas and social bases, government parties face
a large number of common or similar challenges on how to strengthen
governance capability and consolidate ruling status. Reform,
innovation and development are the common subjects faced by all of
us. We sincerely hope to draw successful lessons from foreign
political parties.
CRI Online: With the rising of China's overall national strength and
international position, the international community is expecting
more from China in contributing to the settlement of international
hot-spots and difficulties. To this end, the CPC has taken the
initiative in deepening and expanding its involvement in
international affairs, actively engaging in major diplomatic
activities like pushing forward UN reforms, coping with global
climate change, and promoting the building of a harmonious world. It
plays a positive role in contacting various political forces widely
for candid exchanges and deepened effort to promote reconciliation
and negotiation on the settlement of regional hot-spot issues such
as the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsular, Middle East peace
talks, and Palestine-Israel situation.
Liu: In the run-up to the Seventeenth National Congress, the CPC's
external work is on a new historical point. The profound changes of
relations between China and the World will also bring about
unprecedented opportunities and challenges to the Party's external
work.
We believe that the external exchanges of the CPC will make fresh
contribution to deepening understanding and trust between the
Chinese people and people around the world, to fostering a sound
image of the Party as one that is built for the people and exercises
power for the public, and as one that is democratic, progressive,
open-minded and innovative, to constantly promoting the development
of state-to-state relations, and to promoting the building of a
harmonious world.
CRI Online: Thank you Vice Minister for being with us.
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