On December 27 and 28, 2023, the Communist Party of China held the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs. This was the sixth such meeting – the first one was held way back in 1971. This Foreign Affairs Work Conference was the third held under Xi Jinping’s leadership, with earlier meetings held in 2014 and 2018.
Xi delivered a major speech at the Work Conference, which marks the most comprehensive expression yet of his more activist approach to PRC diplomacy. The speech provides valuable insights into Xi’s assessment of the global balance of power, his vision of the international order, and his views of the role of Chinese diplomacy.
Host Bonnie Glaser is joined by Neil Thomas, a Fellow for Chinese Politics at Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis, where he studies elite politics, political economy, and foreign policy. Previously, he was a Senior Analyst for China and Northeast Asia at Eurasia Group.
Timestamps
[01:32] Historical Significance of Foreign Affairs Work Conference
[07:09] Xi’s Key Messages from the Conference in December
[11:10] Xi’s Concept of the Community of Common Destiny
[15:26] Major Country Diplomacy in Chinese Foreign Policy
[20:03] China’s Diplomacy Going Forward
[23:07] Xi’s Speech to Chinese Ambassadors
Xi Jinping and China's Techno-Industrial Drive
China's Expanding Ties with Latin America and the Caribbean
Illiberal Effects of Chinese Foreign Direct Investment
Article 23: Implications for Hong Kong
Transatlantic Perspectives on China: Consensus and Divergence
China's Diplomacy in the Israel-Hamas War and Red Sea Crisis
Mapping China's Influence in Myanmar's Crisis
Flashpoints in the US-China Relationship
Beijing’s Response to Taiwan’s Election
How Domestic Politics are Shaping US-China Relations
Balancing Assurances and Threats in the Case of Taiwan: A conversation with Bonnie Glaser, Jessica Chen Weiss, and Thomas Christensen
EU-China Relations on the Eve of the 24th Bilateral Summit
China’s Response to the Israel-Hamas War
China’s Military Diplomacy and its Quest for Bases Abroad
The Philippines-China Row Heats Up
Unpacking China’s New Standard Map
BRICS in China's Foreign Policy Agenda
Shakeup in PLA Rocket Force
Centrality of Artificial Intelligence in US-China Competition
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