By Zong Shu

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing is arguably one of the top international news makers since the new year began.

Setting off on December 31 for visits to eight countries in Africa, Li has generated much news coverage from the international media.

A casual news search on www.yahoo.com yielded 254 headlines last week.

"He brings a program of debt forgiveness, fresh credits and deals to help largely poor and underdeveloped states improve their economies," according to an editorial in Arab News on January 9.

"There are undoubtedly commercial opportunities here for Chinese businesses, not least in the supply of raw materials, but there is more to this progress to countries which have often been neglected by the West," the editorial said.

Barely having time for a sojourn, Li arrived in Cebu, the Philippines, last Thursday, with a full schedule of events at the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit and the East Asia Regional Summit, which concluded on Monday.

In between his visits, Li spoke on the phone with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, exchanging views "on issues of common concern", according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Li's name has also appeared on the organizing committees for the "Year of China" in Russia and the China-Korea Exchange Year.

The Chinese foreign minister's hectic working schedule is a prelude to a busy year ahead of high-level international diplomacy for China.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is now in Manila on an official visit to the Philippines, after attending the 10th ASEAN plus Three (China, Japan and the ROK) summit, the 10th China-ASEAN summit, and an East Asian regional summit.

Preparations are also underway for Chinese President Hu Jintao's first official tour abroad this year to several African countries as a follow up to the Beijing Declaration that he and about 40 African heads of states worked out last November during the Beijing Summit on China-Africa Cooperation.

More exchanges between top Chinese leaders and their counterparts are to follow.

Wen is expected to visit Japan in the spring, the first Chinese premier to visit the country in seven years.

In March, China and Russia will officially kick off the Year of China in Russia. In their New Year messages to each other on December 31, President Hu and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the start of the "Year of China" in Russia. They also forecast a series of important meetings and events between the leaders of the two countries.

Also on the agenda is the China-US strategic economic dialogue between cabinet members in May, in Washington DC.

All the forthcoming exchanges and talks will further promote the successes of China's diplomacy last year.

In an article published in the latest issue of Qiushi, or Seeking Truth, the theoretical magazine of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Li stressed several areas in which China made achievements in its international and bilateral diplomacy last year.

Li pointed out that China strengthened cooperation with its neighbors and developing countries last year, with three summits as the main focus.

Li wrote that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Shanghai last June saw the signing of 10 documents including the Declaration on the Fifth Anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The SCO member countries reached consensus on building long-term, friendly cooperation and vowed to deepen cooperation on economic, trade, security and culture, Li said.

In late October, the Commemorative Summit marking the 15th Anniversary of Dialogue Relations between China and ASEAN was held, with a joint statement promising to cement their strategic partnership.

The Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing in early November witnessed the Beijing Declaration on the establishment of a new strategic partnership between China and Africa.

President Hu spelled out eight new measures that China is adopting in its support of development of African countries.

Meanwhile, the China-Africa Forum-Beijing Action Plan provided the blueprint for cooperation between China and African countries in the next three years.

"The summit injected new momentum into the traditional Sino-African friendship and cooperation," Li wrote.

China has also advanced its relations with major powers in the world, according to Li.
 
Last year, Chinese and American heads of states met several times and reached consensus on promoting constructive cooperation in the 21st century.

The landmark strategic economic dialogue between China and the United States was held early last month, while the two countries also carried out the third strategic dialogue in November.

All these Sino-US exchanges reflected the two countries' greater interaction, boosted economic, trade, military, law enforcement, anti-terrorism, anti-proliferation, education, culture, and health cooperation.

The China-Russia strategic partnership grew, with Hu and Putin meeting five times last year, according to Li.

China launched the "Year of Russia" in March, with more than 250 events involving trade, investment, culture, and education; highlighting closer ties between the two neighbors.

EU-China relations saw stable growth, according to Li, with talks on politics, trade, energy, education and climate change.

On September 9, Wen and EU leaders announced at the ninth EU-China Summit in Helsinki that China and the EU had agreed to launch negotiations on a framework Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which would encompass the full scope of their relationship.

The negotiations will start today with the arrival of Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU Commisioner for External Relations, on her official visit to China through Thursday at Li Zhaoxing's invitation.

Years of difficulties in the relations between China and Japan were turned around late last year with new Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to China in October.

During their meeting in November at the 14th Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum last month in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, Hu and Abe agreed to further Sino-Japanese relations.

In his article, Li pointed out that the world witnessed the heating up of major issues of international concern.

The Korean nuclear issue became more complicated with North Korea carrying out its first nuclear test while the Iranian nuclear crisis heightened as it went ahead with its uranium enrichment program.

At the same time, Israel-Palestinian conflicts intensified and Iraq continued to suffer from chaos and war. The effect of the bombings between Israel and Lebanon is still being felt in the Middle East.

China played a constructive role in handling these thorny issues, Li wrote. It started the serious diplomatic maneuvering to reopen the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue and actively participated in the six-country mechanism over the Iranian nuclear issue.

China also exerted its influence in finding ways to alleviate the Darfur crisis in Sudan, according to Li.

Another highlight of China's work in international relations last year was that it consolidated its multilateral diplomacy.

During the dialogue between the G8 and developing countries, the APEC forum and the sixth Asia-Europe summit, Hu and Wen elaborated China's determination to keep the country on the peaceful development road, and its opening up strategy featuring mutual benefits and policy of building a harmonious world.

"More and more countries have recognized that China's development is peaceful, open, cooperative and harmonious, and China is a staunch force in safeguarding world peace and promoting common prosperity," Li said.

He noted that China continued to support and push for the reform of the United Nations, participated in a wide range of activities of the United Nations and international multilateral economic organizations.

China also offered help and aid within its ability to those countries and people who suffered from natural disasters and other difficulties, such as rescuing Vietnamese fishing ships and offering aid to Indonesia, North Korea, Thailand and the Philippines.
 
China donated US$10 million to the international program on prevention of bird flu during the ministerial meeting sponsored by China, EU and World Bank.

Li said that over the past year, China also actively promoted bilateral and multilateral cooperation and exchanges in businesses, trade and technologies.

By November last year, 64 countries recognized China's market economy status.

China, Russia and other countries established long-term cooperation in energy resources and set up dialogue with OPEC and the energy working group of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

China intensified its consultations with leading countries in the world to ensure stable and secure energy supply, such as hosting the meeting of energy ministers from the US, Japan, Republic of Korea and India.

Li said the foreign ministry staff posted around the world also worked closely with their international counterparts in ensuring the legal rights and safety of Chinese overseas.

Cases that involved official consulate assistance, mediation and handling numbered more than 30,000, and included business disputes, traffic accidents, crimes as well as emergencies such as evacuation of Chinese nationals in times of social chaos and terrorist attacks.

China will continue to maintain that peace, development and cooperation is an inevitable trend in the world.

(China Daily January 16, 2007)