Source:Global Times Published: 2017/3/9 0:33:39

The press conference Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held at the fifth session of the 12th National People’s Congress in Beijing on Wednesday touched on almost all global hotspot issues. The past year has witnessed the most black swan events. In such a precarious world, is our diplomacy able to cope with the challenges? This is of particular concern to the Chinese public.

People were most impressed with foreign minister’s confidence, which is an embodiment of the true state of China’s diplomatic influence as well as the growing confidence of the whole country.

The presidency of Donald Trump has caused anxieties in many countries. When Trump provoked China over the one-China policy when he was president-elect, China was supposed to be the most apprehensive. However, it showed great composure and a steady China-US relationship has ensued.

The South China Sea issue is another dramatic scene. The arbitration farce reached its climax in 2016, but the scenario was soon reversed. Manila has become a good friend of Beijing again. Cooperation is the main theme of China-Vietnam relations. The South China Sea situation after undergoing turbulence has returned to peaceful cooperation.

The minister’s elaboration on the China-Russia relationship, the triangle of China, Russia and the US, BRICS cooperation as well as whether China is seeking global leadership has particularly demonstrated confidence.

The zero-sum world is coming to an end and emerging countries have come to the center of the international stage. China has gained ample room for maneuvering to implement its national strategy.

The most pressing challenge for China now comes from Northeast Asia, the Korean Peninsula in particular. The North Korean nuclear issue, coupled with the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system in South Korea, has chilled Chinese relations with both Pyongyang and Seoul. But the Peninsula issue won’t constitute a strategic obstacle to the development of China.

China values the relationship with every country and treats every issue carefully. That foreign affairs are no small matter has become embedded in the minds of the Chinese public. We care about diplomacy and the feelings of the outside world.

The state of Chinese diplomacy is one of the steadiest in the world. Given the scale of China’s national strength today, the challenges the country faces are really not so troublesome.

The One Belt, One Road summit is to be held in Beijing in May, probably the largest summit that China has hosted so far. It transcends geopolitics, ideology and the gap between the rich and poor, encouraging all countries to work together.

The foreign minister’s press conference has broadened the horizons of and added more certainties for the Chinese people. In order to make China’s rise more acceptable to the world as well as make the country develop more smoothly, there is still a long way for Chinese diplomacy to go.