The International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), hereinafter referred to as the IDCPC,is a department of the CPC in charge of its external relations. Since its founding in 1951, the IDCPC, under the direct leadership of the CPC Central Committee, has conducted international exchangescentering on the key tasks of the Party in various periods. With ever more expanded scope and greater depth in its work, the IDCPC has contributed to the improvement of the Party itself, the reform and opening up process of the nation and China’s overall diplomatic endeavor.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the IDCPC has acted on General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on the Party’s external relations. Witha truth-seeking spirit and pragmatic approach, the IDCPC has opened up new prospectsin this regard. On the front of contacts with political parties, the IDCPC has established tiesof various forms with over 600 political parties and organizations worldwide to serveChina’s overall diplomacy.Through high-level exchanges, forums,dialogues, and mutual visits, the IDCPC has carried out a new type of party-to-party exchanges and cooperation.On the front of research, the IDCPC hasfollowed the changing global landscape and stepped up efforts to undertake more strategic research with applicable suggestionson the international situation, regional issues, party politics, development models and trends of thought by means of, among others, topicalstudy tours and theoretical discussions to provide reference for the decision-making by the central leadership and to serve the needs of state governance.On the front of networking, the IDCPC has built a network for interactions that covers various political parties both in and out of government and people of various sectors tofacilitate the sound development of state-to-state relations. On the front of showcasing the Party’s sound image, the IDCPC has communicated to the outside worldthe CPC’s governance philosophy and policies and has been telling China’s story in its own way to make China’s voice heard and the CPC properly perceived.

The Party’s external work is an important front in the cause of the Party, an integral component of the overall diplomatic work and a significant manifestation of the major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. The IDCPC is fully aware of its glorious mission and responsibility. Thanks to the joint efforts ofseveral generations of IDCPC staff members, the Departmenthasformed a fine work style of loyalty, dedication, truth-seeking andinnovation, and cultivated high-calibercadres. Going forward, the IDCPC will continue its efforts with a down-to-earth and enterprising spiritto see to it that the Party’s external work becomes an important avenue to promoting the development of China’s foreign relations, an important showcase of the CPC’s sound image in the international community, an important platform for party members and leading cadres to expose themselves to and better understand the rest of the world, and an important channel to draw on international experience for the reference of the central leadership in decision-making.