On January 9, 🇨🇳Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a speech titled:

“Self-Confidence & Self-Reliance, Openness & Inclusiveness, Fairness & Justice, Cooperation for Mutual Benefit.”

What did he say?
What are the implications for the PRC’s foreign policy agenda in 2024?
🧵 Wang’s speech features:

▪️ 6 highlights of 🇨🇳’s 2023 foreign policy
▪️ 6 general principles of China's foreign policy
▪️ 4 points of action going forward

On January 9, 🇨🇳 Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a speech titled:

“Self-Confidence & Self-Reliance, Openness & Inclusiveness, Fairness & Justice, Cooperation for Mutual Benefit.”

What did he say?
What are the implications for the PRC’s foreign policy agenda in 2024?
🧵 Wang’s speech features:

▪️ 6 highlights of 🇨🇳’s 2023 foreign policy
▪️ 6 general principles of China's foreign policy
▪️ 4 points of action going forward

On Dec 15, 🇨🇳 published 6 comprehensive reports on BRI cooperation regarding:

▪️Green Development
▪️ 🇨🇳-Latin America
▪️P-2-P Connectivity
▪️🇨🇳-Africa
▪️TCM
▪️🇨🇳-ASEAN

What do they say?
Why are they relevant to understanding the BRI and 🇨🇳’s foreign policy agenda?

🧵 All the documents follow a similar structure (Development results; principles; outlook; chronology).

Each report also includes some BRI case studies.

The documents provide a good outlook on the future direction and priorities of the BRI (content and regional focus).

Understanding the 🇨🇳 concept of “foreign-related rule of law” (FRROL) 涉外法治 is essential to grasping the fine-tuning of 🇨🇳’s global ambitions. It plays a crucial role in achieving the CCP’s 2049 goal.

It is widely ignored outside of the PRC.

This is a mistake.

Why?
🧵 FRROL may be viewed as a bridge between China’s “domestic rule of law” [国内法治] and the “international rule of law” 国际法治.

Given 🇨🇳’s Sino-Marxist approach to the law, “法治” primarily carries the notion of “rules-based governance” rather than “rule of law”.

The BRI remains most important 🇨🇳 foreign policy agenda item.

Last week, the Office of the Leading Group for Promoting the BRI published a key document about the future of the BRI.

What does it say?
🧵 The document revolves around implementing the “8 major steps” announced by Xi Jinping during the 3rd BRF (October 2023):

1⃣multidimensional B&R connectivity network
2⃣ open world economy
3⃣practical BRI cooperation (signature projects & "small yet smart" livelihood programs)

On 27 Nov, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee conducted a group study session on reinforcing the “foreign-related legal system”.

What is foreign-related rule of law (涉外法治)?
Why is it relevant?
🧵 The 🇨🇳readout provides a summary of Xi Jinping’s comments

It does not (won’t) summarize Prof. Huang’s input.

Huang
▪️has published extensively on the topic
▪️gave a lecture to the NPC Standing Committee on the issue in Feb 2022
▪️is the key to understanding where 🇨🇳is heading.

🇨🇳-🇮🇱-🇵🇸

On November 30, 🇨🇳 issued a position paper on resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

What does it say?
Are there any surprises?
🧵 The position paper highlights five main points:
▪️Comprehensive ceasefire
▪️Protection of civilians
▪️ Humanitarian assistance
▪️ Diplomatic mediation
▪️ Political settlement

On November 20, 2023, 🇨🇳 Foreign Minister Wang Yi met his counterparts from

🇸🇦🇯🇴🇪🇬🇮🇩🇵🇸 & the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for talks about the situation in Gaza.

What did he say?
🧵 According to the 🇨🇳 readout, Wang acknowledged that choosing 🇨🇳 as the first stop of the delegation

▪️demonstrated a high degree of trust in China
▪️reflected the tradition of mutual understanding and mutual support between the two sides.

APEC summit & 🇨🇳-CELAC relations

Despite not having received too much attention, it is worthwhile having a closer look at the meetings between Xi Jinping and

▪️Andrés Manuel López Obrador (Pres. of 🇲🇽)
▪️Dina Boluarte (Pres. of 🇵🇪)

at the sidelines of the APEC summit

Why?
🧵 According to the December 2021 🇨🇳-CELAC Joint Action Plan for Cooperation in Key Areas (2022-2024)

🇨🇳-CELAC cooperation prioritizes 6 areas:

1⃣ Political and Security Cooperation

2⃣Pragmatic Economic Cooperation
▪️ Trade and Investment
▪️ Finance
▪️ Agriculture and Food

🇨🇳readout from the Xi-Biden meeting.

What does it say?
🧵 According to the 🇨🇳 readout, Xi and Biden had a candid and in-depth exchange of views (e.g., on 🇨🇳-🇺🇸relations & major issues related to world peace and global dev).

🇺🇸-🇨🇳 Summit

🇨🇳readout from the Xi-Biden meeting.

What does it say?
🧵 According to the 🇨🇳/Xinhua readout, Xi and Biden had a candid and in-depth exchange of views (e.g., on 🇨🇳-🇺🇸 relations & major issues related to world peace and global dev).

On November 14, the 🇺🇸 and 🇨🇳 released the 25-point Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis.

It is an (abstract) but positive and well-timed sign ahead of the Xi-Biden summit.

What does it say?
🧵 1. 🇺🇸&🇨🇳 recall, reaffirm, and commit to implement:

▪️the🇨🇳🇺🇸 Joint Statement Addressing the Climate Crisis (04/2021)

▪️the🇺🇸🇨🇳 Joint Glasgow Declaration on Enhancing Climate Action in the 2020s (09/2021.

On November 9, 🇫🇷 hosted a conference to find ways to provide aid to civilians in Gaza.

For the Chinese side, Zhai Jun, 🇨🇳 Special Envoy on the Middle Eastern Issue, attended.

Who is he?
What did he say?

🧵 Among🇨🇳diplomats Zhai is one of most accomplished Arabists. He
▪️started learning Arabic over 50 years ago, at the cradle for top🇨🇳diplomats, the BJ Foreign Studies University
▪️was selected by the🇨🇳Ministry of Foreign Affairs to study Arabic at Cairo University (until 1975)

Today’s (Nov. 6) closed-door meeting underlined once again cooperation between China(🇨🇳) and the UAE (🇦🇪) within the UN Security Council on the situation in Gaza.
Why?
What is the context?
What does it reveal about 🇨🇳’s positioning in the conflict?
🧵 On 1 Nov., 🇨🇳 took over the monthly rotating UNSC presidency.

For 6 Nov., 🇨🇳&🇦🇪requested a closed-door UNSC meeting on the 🇵🇸-🇮🇱conflict to discuss (among other issues) the strikes on

▪️ the Jabalia refugee camp
▪️ a convoy of ambulances near the central Al-Shifa Hospital

On 1 Nov., 🇨🇳 started its 40th mission to Antarctica.

2 🇨🇳icebreaker research vessels and a cargo ship (carrying 460 people & supplies on board) left for Inexpressible Island near the Ross Sea.

Why is it relevant?
🧵 Between 1985-2014, 🇨🇳 built four research stations in the Antarctic.

The construction of 🇨🇳’s fifth station in Antarctica could be completed next year.

Below a short overview:

The substance of the BRF received very little international attention.
According to the Chair’s Statement, the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation delivered 458 outcomes.

What are they?
Why are they crucial to understanding the scope of the BRI? 🧵 Part IV 6⃣People’s Livelihood & P-2-P Connectivity Projects
...
▪️🇨🇳-Island Countries Forum on Ocean Coop.
▪️🇨🇳-Island Countries Marine Disaster Risk Reduction Coop. Plan
▪️Gwadar Seawater Desalination Project 🇵🇰
▪️Project of Satellite Assembly, Integration and Testing Center 🇪🇬

The substance of the BRF received very little international attention.

According to the Chair’s Statement, the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation delivered 458 outcomes.

What are they?
Why are they crucial to understanding the scope of the BRI?

🧵 Part III 3⃣ Bilateral Coop. Platforms & Projects or Mechanisms Launched by 🇨🇳
...
▪️B&R Int. Production Capacity Cooperation Demonstration Zone (in Anhui)
▪️Shenzhen - 🇸🇬Smart City Coop.
▪️B&R Int. Center for Geoscience Education & Training

The substance of the BRF received very little international attention.

According to the Chair’s Statement, the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation delivered 458 outcomes.
What are they?
Why are they crucial to understanding the scope of the BRI?
🧵 Part II List of Practical Cooperation Deliverables (369 concrete outcomes)

1⃣Bilateral Coop.
▪️🇨🇳🇭🇳 BRI MOU
▪️ BRI Coop. /Action plans: between 🇨🇳 & 🇦🇷🇲🇷🇬🇪🇷🇸
▪️ 🇨🇳-🇪🇬: Plan of Joint Promotion of BRI
▪️CCP & Lao People’s Rev. Party: Action Plan on Building a GCSF (2024-2028)

The substance of the BRF received very little international attention.

According to the Chair’s Statement, the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation delivered 458 outcomes.

What are they?
Why are they crucial to understanding the scope of the BRI?

🧵 89 Multilateral Cooperation Deliverables

1⃣High-level Forums

▪️Beijing Initiative for Deepening Coop. on Connectivity
▪️Global Sustainable Transport Innovation Alliance
▪️ Beijing Initiative for Belt and Road Green Development
▪️BRI Green Development Outlook

On October 24, the 🇨🇳 Foreign Ministry released the

“Outlook on 🇨🇳’s Foreign Policy on Its Neighborhood In the New Era”

What does it say?
Why is it relevant?
🧵 According to the preface of the document,

“🇨🇳 attaches great importance to neighborhood diplomacy, always prioritizes the neighborhood on its diplomatic agenda & remains committed to promoting regional peace, stability, dev. & prosperity."

On October 18, the third Belt and Road Forum concluded in Beijing.
 
Leaving all the imagery aside, what are the most relevant announcements and results?
 
TH 1) BRI connectivity network
• China-Europe railway express
• trans-Caspian int. transport corridors
• China-Europe Railway Express Cooperation Forum
• New logistics corridor across Eurasia
• New Int. Land-Sea Trade Corridor
• Air silk Road