Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a press conference on China’s foreign policy and foreign relations on the sidelines of the Two Sessions on March 7. An observation of the news agencies of the 21 reporters who asked questions at the event and the subjects of their questions shows that eleven of them were from the state media and associated outlets and played a role of “guiding” Wang Yi to elaborate on China’s important foreign policy and positions. The other ten predetermined foreign media asked questions about China’s crucial foreign relations. The reporters’ identity and home countries and the sequence and significance of the questions revealed that the press conference is highly orchestrated. However, even though it was Wang Yi’s personal show staged by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the press conference can still serve as a parameter to analyze the direction of China’s key diplomatic work this year.
The reporters asked questions approximately according to a sequence of Chinese media first and then international outlets. The arrangement allowed Wang Yi to first explain China's policy narratives about specific issues and then express China’s positions on its foreign relations. It could also demonstrate the priorities of these issues in China's work related to foreign affairs. However, it should have been international media’s turn to ask questions following the questions about China’s neighborhood diplomacy put forward by a reporter from the Global Times. But a reporter from China Global Television Network (CGTN) asked questions about Ukraine instead. The reason may be that China could not find a suitable media to raise the issue, and the CGTN is more of an international media. A reporter from Tanzania's state-run television station asked about relations between China and Africa. He was followed by a journalist from the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) who raised a question about the Korean Peninsula. Then the China Media Group (CMG) put forward the issue of the United Nations reform. Grouping the three issues together reflected the fact that, from the perspective of China’s diplomatic strategies, the China-Africa relations and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions are closely related to the United Nations approach. The Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) raised the issue of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The Latin American News Agency asked questions about the Global South. And then a reporter from the China Daily talked about the concept of "diplomacy for the people." These questions also reflected that China is actively creating a narrative for oversea propaganda touting that the BRI is key to the prosperity of the Global South countries. The press conference ended as the Chinese Arabic TV, China’s mouthpiece in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe, asked final questions and provided a chance for Wang Yi to tell China’s story.
Wang Yi pointed out four directions of China's overall diplomacy: China will safeguard its sovereignty and national dignity; China will promote and establish a new type of international relations that maintains stability with major countries and strives for rejuvenation with its neighbors and fellow countries in the Global South; China will promote greater democracy in international relations; and China will offer more solutions with Chinese wisdom to regional hotspots and global issues. Consequently, China will make specific efforts. First, China will continue to promote the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind to accelerate the building of all kinds of communities with a shared future with partner countries. Second, China proposes to build an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. Based on the proposal, Wang Yi raised the issue of the United Nations reform, the more important purpose of which is to contribute to the Chinese modernization. In addition, whether China’s Global AI Governance Initiative can have a say and obtain the power to set standards in the field will be an important indicator of China’s international status. Third, China seeks to promote substantive development in its mediation diplomacy. Especially in terms of the two serious regional hotspot issues, the Israel-Hamas conflict and the Russia-Ukraine war, Beijing at the minimum will continue to take the moral high ground in the international community and shape a narrative that the crux of related problems is contradictions among Western countries. Fourth, China will strengthen neighborhood diplomacy and diplomacy with the Global South countries. Multilateral mechanisms in various regional forums will become an important focus and arena for China.
Wang Yi mainly talked about four bilateral relations in the press conference. He first elaborated on relations between China and Russia. It is a known fact that China attaches great importance to diplomatic interactions with Russia. Chinese state media raised the topic of building a community with a shared future for mankind immediately after a reporter from the Russian state media asked questions. This reflected that China expects Russia to be a member of the community with a shared future to a certain extent. The issue of China-Africa relations was raised by a Tanzanian state media in the latter part of the press conference. Wang Yi's response demonstrated China’s confidence in strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields. In particular, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will be held in China this autumn. China will definitely put forward more plans to support infrastructure building in Africa. In terms of relations with the U.S. and Europe, Wang Yi's remarks emphasized China’s positions or diplomatic achievements and criticized negative factors, reflecting Beijing’s hope to stabilize its relations with the U.S. and advance that with Europe. On the other hand, Wang’s remarks also served as a warning to the U.S. and Europe that China will respond to the contradictions in bilateral relations on a reciprocal basis. This suggests that China’s relations with the U.S. and Europe will be determined by whether strategic mutual trust can be enhanced through dialogue and cooperation and whether risk management and control can be applied in disputed issues in the future.
Only important issues will be included in the Two Sessions press conference. As it is very difficult for the outside world to get a glimpse of the full picture of China's internal meetings on work related to foreign affairs, the policy positions detailed by the Chinese foreign minister through answering media questions are crucial for observing China’s diplomatic moves. The arrangement of questions and narratives are also worthy of deeper analysis.
（Wen-Feng Tzou, Assistant Professor of the Graduate Institute of Strategic Studies at National Defense University）
（Excerpt translated to English by Cindy Li）
