Three key takeaways of China's central conference on work related to neighboring countries
The conference noted that China's relations with its neighboring countries are currently at their best in modern times.
The central conference on work related to neighboring countries was held in Beijing from Tuesday to Wednesday. Chinese President Xi Jinping made remarks during the conference. Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi, and Vice President Han Zheng attended the conference.
The last time this meeting was held was in 2013. According to the official readout at the time, the 2013 meeting established the strategic goals, basic principles, and overall plan for neighboring diplomacy work over the next 5 to 10 years, clarifying the working approach and implementation plan to address major issues in neighboring diplomacy.
This time, the official readout contains less information than the one in 2013, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the content of this meeting was less substantial than the previous one. Sometimes, the central authorities may release more meeting-related content through party media like Qiushi in the months following the meeting.
Drawing from the readout of the conference, here are my three main takeaways.
1. Importance of China's neighborhood
会议指出，我国幅员辽阔、边界线长，周边是实现发展繁荣的重要基础、维护国家安全的重点、运筹外交全局的首要、推动构建人类命运共同体的关键。
The conference highlighted that China's vast territory and long borders make its neighborhood a vital foundation for national development and prosperity, a key front for safeguarding national security, a priority area in the country's overall diplomacy, and a crucial link in building a community with a shared future for humanity.
This sentence from the official readout is, in my view, one of the most important statements, as it provides a comprehensive summary of the positioning of neighboring countries and neighboring diplomacy in China's development strategy.
Those familiar with China's foreign policy may recall an earlier official formulation: "大国是关键、周边是首要、发展中国家是基础、多边是重要舞台 Major countries are the key, neighboring countries are the priority, developing countries are the foundation, and multilateral platforms are the important stage."
Comparing it with the current read-out, we can see that the authorities have now offered a more comprehensive framing of the importance of neighboring countries while retaining their status as a priority area in the country's overall diplomacy.
2. Best times
会议指出，当前我国同周边关系处于近代以来最好的时期，同时也进入周边格局和世界变局深度联动的重要阶段。
China's relations with its neighboring countries are currently at their best in modern times, and are also entering a critical phase where regional dynamics and global transformations are deeply intertwined, the conference noted.
I asked DeepSeek, and it told me that China has 14 land neighbors: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. Additionally, China has 6 maritime neighbors: South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia.
Given the regional dynamics and recent improvements in China’s relations with countries like India and Japan—coupled with the ongoing U.S.-led global trade war, which could further catalyze these shifts—I believe the assessment from the readout is by no means an exaggeration. This likely also stems from China’s longstanding emphasis on fostering stable ties with neighboring nations, a cornerstone of its foreign policy.
3. Asian values
以和平、合作、开放、包容的亚洲价值观为基本遵循，以高质量共建“一带一路”为主要平台，以安危与共、求同存异、对话协商的亚洲安全模式为战略支撑，携手周边国家共创美好未来。
To build a better future with its neighbors, China will uphold the Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, use high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as the main platform, and pursue the Asian security model that features sharing weal and woe, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and prioritizing dialogue and consultation, according to the conference.
In October 2023, China released the Outlook on China’s Foreign Policy on Its Neighborhood In the New Era, its first comprehensive policy document dedicated to outlining its approach to neighboring countries.
The document emphasizes that "the neighborhood is where China survives and thrives and the foundation of its development and prosperity," stating: "There are two opposite propositions and trends concerning the future of Asia. One advocates open regionalism, true multilateralism, a development-first approach, mutually beneficial cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, integrated development, and pursuit of common development in harmony. The other represents a relapse into the Cold War mentality and exclusive clubs, and attempts to draw lines based on values, politicize economic issues, divide the region into different security blocs, and stoke division and confrontation."
Looking back now, this document remains highly significant—underscoring China’s clear vision for Asia’s future development.
Below is Xinhua's report about the conference in case you want to learn more details.
Xinhua Headlines: Xi calls for building community with shared future with neighboring countries
BEIJING, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for building a community with a shared future with neighboring countries and striving to open new ground for China's neighborhood work.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a central conference on work related to neighboring countries, which was held in Beijing from Tuesday to Wednesday.
Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi, and Vice President Han Zheng also attended the conference.
In his speech, Xi systematically summarized the achievements and experience of China's neighborhood work in the new era, scientifically analyzed the current situation, and outlined the goals, tasks, ideas and measures for the next phase of neighborhood work.
While presiding over the meeting, Premier Li Qiang stressed the need to thoroughly implement the spirit of Xi's important speech and to earnestly carry out the various tasks in work related to neighboring countries.
The conference highlighted that China's vast territory and long borders make its neighborhood a vital foundation for national development and prosperity, a key front for safeguarding national security, a priority area in the country's overall diplomacy, and a crucial link in building a community with a shared future for humanity.
The conference called for viewing neighboring regions through a global perspective and strengthening the sense of responsibility and mission in advancing China's neighborhood work.
It was noted at the conference that after the 18th CPC National Congress, China put forward the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in its neighborhood diplomacy, advocating for the building of a community with a shared future with neighboring countries.
Guided by head-of-state diplomacy, China has worked with neighboring countries to deepen all-around cooperation, strengthen exchanges in various fields, and maintain peace and stability, thereby securing historic achievements and transformation in neighborhood work, according to the meeting.
China's relations with its neighboring countries are currently at their best in modern times, and are also entering a critical phase where regional dynamics and global transformations are deeply intertwined, the conference noted, calling for taking into account both the domestic and international situations and coordinating the two major priorities of development and security.
To build a better future with its neighbors, China will remain committed to fostering an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood. It will uphold the Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, use high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as the main platform, and pursue the Asian security model that features sharing weal and woe, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and prioritizing dialogue and consultation, according to the conference.
It was emphasized at the meeting that to build a community with a shared future with neighboring countries, China will work with its neighbors to consolidate strategic mutual trust, support regional countries in pursuing development paths suited to their respective conditions, and properly manage differences.
China will also deepen development integration with its neighbors, build a high-level connectivity network, strengthen cooperation in industrial and supply chains, advance security and law enforcement cooperation, and expand people-to-people exchanges, according to the conference. Enditem