BEIJING – The Communist Party of China (CPC) approved on Tuesday resolutions endorsing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s foreign policy particularly promotion of peace and development including China-led Belt and Road Initiative.
“The Congress endorses the report’s analysis of the international situation and the guiding principles it sets out for China’s foreign affairs,” stated in the resolution unanimously approved during the closing ceremony of the 19th CPC National Congress here.
In his report to the 19th CPC National Congress last week, Xi said China would never seek hegemony or engage in expansion “no matter what stage of development it reaches.”
According to the resolution, China will remain firm in its commitment to strengthening friendship and cooperation with other countries and will keep the path of peaceful development.
To show their full support on Xi’s reform and opening up, the CPC has approved separate resolution incorporating the Belt and Road Initiative in the Party’s constitution.
“It (Congress) will actively promote international cooperation through the Belt and Road Initiative and continue to take active part in reforming and developing the global governance system,” stated in the resolution.
The Belt and Road Initiative was proposed by Xi in 2013 to build trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with many countries in Europe, Africa and Latin America.
Last May, China hosted the first Belt and Road Initiative Forum for International Cooperation which drew 29 government leaders and heads of state including Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
The CPC stressed it would work toward a new form of international relations featuring “mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation.”
“The Congress stresses to uphold its fundamental foreign policy goal of preserving world peace and promoting common development,” it said.
China and the Philippines along with Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam are the claimant countries in the disputed South China Sea or West Philippine Sea.
In July last year, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration’s verdict favoring the Philippines’ arbitration case against China’s nine-dash line claim that covers nearly the whole of South China Sea.
Duterte, however, eventually decided to temporarily shelve the decision to give way to dialogue and negotiation that led to the revival of China-Philippines relations.
Duterte has actually visited Beijing twice upon invitation of Xi, bringing home USD24 billion worth of funding and investment pledges and many trade and bilateral agreements.
Meanwhile, the 19th CPC Congress also upheld Xi’s thinking on strengthening the Chinese military by building “powerful and modernized army, navy, air force, rocket force and strategic support force.”
“We must stay committed to the Chinese path of building strong armed forces,” it said in the resolution.
The Congress also endorsed the inclusion of the two centenary goals and the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation into the CPC’s constitution.
The two centenary goals refer to China’s new era of rapid development to achieve a moderately prosperous society by 2020 and a great modern socialist society with Chinese characteristics by 2049. (PNA)
