On 7 March 2023， a press conference was held on the margins of the First Session of the 14th National Peoples Congress at the Media Center， during which Foreign Minister Qin Gang answered questions from Chinese and foreign media about Chinas foreign policy and external relations.

Qin Gang said were in the first year of fully implementing the guiding principles set forth by the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. The Congress has outlined top-level plans for Chinas diplomacy， identified our missions and tasks， and made strategic arrangements to that end. With the COVID situation turning for the better in China， were steadily resuming exchanges with the world. Weve pressed the “acceleration button”， and sounded the clarion call for our diplomacy.

He expressed， we will follow the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy. In particular， we will ensure the success of the two major diplomatic events that we will host — the first China-Central Asia Summit and the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation， which will be the showcase of the distinctive character of Chinas diplomacy.

We will take it as our mission to defend Chinas core interests. We firmly oppose any form of hegemonism and power politics. We firmly oppose the Cold War mentality， camp-based confrontation， and acts to contain and hold back other countries development. We will resolutely safeguard Chinas sovereignty， security and development interests.

We will build on our extensive partnerships. We will pursue coordination and sound interactions among major countries， seek friendship and cooperation with other countries， and promote a new type of international relations. China has had a growing network of friends， made more and more new friends， and strengthened ties with old ones.

We will take openness and development as our objective. We will facilitate high-quality development and high-standard opening-up. We will reject “decoupling”， and oppose severing industrial and supply chains and imposing unilateral sanctions. We will uphold an open and inclusive world economy， and will generate new opportunities for the world with our new development.

We will take multilateralism as the way forward. We will promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind， promote greater democracy in international relations， and make global governance more just and equitable. We will offer more， better Chinese insight and solutions to help meet humanitys common challenges.

We will take “diplomacy for the people” as our guiding principle. We will always bear in mind the well-being and security of our overseas compatriots， and honor our commitment to serving the people. We will enhance the service for and protection of Chinese citizens and institutions abroad to make their overseas travels and exchanges safer and more convenient.

The world is far from tranquil， being entangled in intertwined turmoils and transformation， the clash between unity and division， and the coexistence of opportunities and challenges. The new journey of Chinas diplomacy will be an expedition with glories and dreams， and it will also be a long voyage through stormy seas. The harder the mission， the more glorious its accomplishment. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core， we will put Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy into full practice， follow through on the decisions of the 20th CPC Congress， and uphold our foreign policy goals of safeguarding world peace and promoting common development. We will meet challenges head-on， boldly take on responsibilities， foster an enabling external environment for building a modern socialist country in all respects， and write a new chapter in Chinas distinctive major-country diplomacy in the new era.

Source/Website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs， the Peoples Republic of China