The Value Concepts of Chinese Diplomacy in the New Era

The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC points out, “The Communist Party of China is a party that seeks happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation, and it is also a party that seeks progress for humanity and harmony for the world.” “Seeking progress for humanity and harmony for the world” is a distinct value concept of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, and it is also an inherent requirement for promoting lasting world peace, development, progress, and prosperity.

党的二十大报告指出，“中国共产党是为中国人民谋幸福、为中华民族谋复兴的党，也是为人类谋进步、为世界谋大同的党”。“为人类谋进步、为世界谋大同”是习近平外交思想的鲜明价值理念，也是推动世界持久和平发展、繁荣进步的题中应有之义。

The Value Pursuit of a Marxist Political Party

马克思主义政党的价值追求

The Communist Party of China is a political party armed with Marxism, and Marxism is the soul of the ideals and beliefs of Chinese Communists. Among its components, the theories on human emancipation and world history laid the value foundation for the CPC’s “seeking progress for humanity and harmony for the world,” and their scientific value has been increasingly proven by history and reality. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at the ceremony marking the 200th anniversary of Marx’s birth, “To study Marx, one must study and practice Marx’s thought on world history.” The CPC, standing at the height of world history, gains insight into the trends of human social progress, examines the current trends of world development and major issues faced, adheres to the path of peaceful development, upholds an independent foreign policy of peace, persists in a win-win strategy of opening up, and works with people of all countries to strive to build a community with a shared future for mankind, making the world a better place.

中国共产党是用马克思主义武装起来的政党，马克思主义是中国共产党人理想信念的灵魂。其中，关于人类解放和世界历史的理论，奠定了中国共产党“为人类谋进步、为世界谋大同”的价值基础，其科学价值已日益被历史和现实所证明。习近平总书记在纪念马克思诞辰200周年大会上强调：“学习马克思，就要学习和实践马克思主义关于世界历史的思想。”中国共产党站在世界历史的高度洞察人类社会进步潮流，审视当今世界发展趋势和面临的重大问题，坚持和平发展道路，坚持独立自主的和平外交政策，坚持互利共赢的开放战略，同各国人民一道努力构建人类命运共同体，把世界建设得更加美好。

Taking the emancipation of all humanity as its mission anchors the ultimate value goal. Marxism is a scientific theory with the fundamental purpose of achieving human progress and emancipation. The *Communist Manifesto* clearly states that the highest ideal and ultimate goal of a Marxist political party is to realize communism, and the essential characteristic of communism lies in realizing the free and comprehensive development of human beings. The CPC has always inherited the scientific truth and lofty values of Marxism, proposing that “the ultimate goal of modernization is to realize the free and comprehensive development of human beings.” It not only takes “national prosperity, national rejuvenation, and people’s happiness” as its fundamental value appeal but also concerns itself with the future and destiny of all humanity, persistently striving unremittingly for the emancipation of all humanity.

以解放全人类为己任锚定终极价值目标。马克思主义是以实现人类进步和解放为根本旨归的科学理论，《共产党宣言》中明确马克思主义政党的最高理想和最终目标是实现共产主义，而共产主义的本质特征就在于实现人的自由全面发展。中国共产党始终承继马克思主义的科学真理和崇高价值，提出“现代化的最终目标是实现人自由而全面的发展”，不仅把“国家富强、民族振兴、人民幸福”作为根本价值诉求，更观照全世界全人类前途命运，坚持为全人类解放而不懈奋斗。

The theory of world history provides scientific theoretical guidance. Through a profound analysis of capitalist production crossing national borders and continuously expanding the world market, Marxism gradually reveals the regular trend that “the more the original closed state of each nation is eliminated due to increasingly perfected modes

世界历史理论提供科学理论指引。马克思主义通过对资本主义生产跨越国界、不断开拓世界市场进行深刻分析，一步步揭示“各民族的原始封闭状态由于日益完善的生产方式、交往以及因交往而自然形成的不同民族之间的分工消灭得越是彻底，历史也就越是成为世界历史”的规律性趋势。习近平总书记指出：“今天，人类交往的世界性比过去任何时候都更深入、更广泛，各国相互联系和彼此依存比过去任何时候都更频繁、更紧密。”中国共产党深刻把握马克思主义的理论精髓，突破狭隘的民族主义理念，将全人类视为一个有机整体置于人类进步事业中加以参照考量，不断为人类进步事业作出新的更大贡献。

The Inheritance and Development of Fine Traditional Chinese Culture

中华优秀传统文化的传承发展

The Chinese nation has a civilisational history of more than 5,000 years. The development of history, the flourishing of society and the progress of humanity are all inseparable from the nourishment and guidance of civilisation. The Communist Party of China, “using the rules of the ancients to open up its own new vistas”, [1]1 A phrase from the Qing dynasty literary critic Li Yu’s *Xianqing Ouji* (Casual Expressions of Idle Feelings), meaning to creatively inherit and develop the legacy of the ancients. continuously draws nourishment from the Chinese nation’s “world view” (tianxia guan), thereby presenting in its external work a unique value system, cultural connotation and spiritual temperament. This provides the CPC with a profound cultural gene, historical accumulation and value norms in its pursuit of world peace and human progress.

中华民族有着五千多年的文明史，历史的发展、社会的繁盛、人类的进步，都离不开文明的滋养和引领。中国共产党“以古人之规矩，开自己之生面”，不断从中华民族的“天下观”中汲取养分，从而在对外工作中呈现出来的独特价值体系、文化内涵和精神气质，为中国共产党谋求世界和平和人类进步提供了深厚的文化基因、历史积淀和价值规约。

The ideal vision of “a world of great harmony, one family under heaven”. The social ideal of a world for all and great harmony (tianxia wei gong, tianxia datong) is an important element of fine traditional Chinese culture. This ideal vision represents the ancient traditional “world view’s” longing and aspiration for a good human society, and shares a subtle resonance with the internationalist ideas proposed by Marx, such as “workers of the world, unite” and “the association of free individuals”. Amid the complex and volatile international situation, the CPC inherits the ancient Chinese “great harmony” (datong) vision of “a world of great harmony, one family under heaven”, advocates the construction of a fair and just international political pattern, and makes significant contributions to shaping new types of party-to-party relations and international relations, and to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

“世界大同，天下一家”的理想愿景。天下为公、天下大同的社会理想是中华优秀传统文化的重要元素。这种理想愿景代表了古代传统“天下观”对人类美好社会的憧憬和向往，同马克思提出的“全世界无产者联合起来”“自由人联合体”等国际主义思想有着异曲同工之妙。在纷繁复杂的国际形势下，中国共产党承继“世界大同，天下一家”的中国古代“大同”愿景，倡导构建公平公正的国际政治格局，为塑造新型政党关系和国际关系，推动构建人类命运共同体作出重大贡献。

The peace concept of “benefiting all under heaven and harmonising all states”. Chinese civilisation possesses a prominent peacefulness. Since ancient times, China has passed down the maxim, “Though a state may be great, belligerence will surely lead to its ruin.” [2]2 An ancient Chinese maxim, often attributed to the *Sima Fa* (The Methods of the Sima), a classic text on military strategy. In modern times, the Chinese people, having endured the profound suffering of frequent wars, a shattered country and a destitute populace, deeply appreciate the preciousness of peace and the urgency of development. Under the inheritance and continuation of the concepts of peace, harmony and concord, the CPC has forged a path of peaceful development that is entirely different from Western unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonism, and has become a backbone force in safeguarding world peace.

“兼济天下、协和万邦”的和平理念。中华文明具有突出的和平性。中国自古就流传着“国虽大，好战必亡”的箴言。近代以来，中国人民历经战乱频仍、山河破碎、民不聊生的深重苦难，深感和平之珍贵、发展之迫切。在和平、和睦、和谐理念的传承赓续下，中国共产党走出了一条与西方单边主义、保护主义、霸权主义截然不同的和平发展道路，成为维护世界和平的中坚力量。

The methodological principle of “appreciating the beauty of others while remaining harmonious yet different”. [3]3 “Appreciating the beauty of others” (meimei yu gong) is derived from the Chinese sociologist Fei Xiaotong’s formulation of the ideal of inter-civilisational relations; “harmonious yet different” (he er bu tong) is a Confucian concept from the *Analects*. Over the long course of history, the various nations of the world have created diverse and colourful civilisations, painting a magnificent picture of civilisation. Civilisation should be diverse and rich—this is the law and fact of the evolution of human civilisation. It is precisely the diversity presented by human civilisation that determines that different civilisations should and can coexist inclusively, exchange and learn from one another, thereby advancing the historical process of human society. The cultural gene of “harmony in diversity” (he er bu tong) fundamentally determines the value orientation of the Chinese nation’s external exchanges and interactions, and determines that the Chinese nation has always pursued equal and mutual learning among civilisations rather than cultural hegemony. The CPC never imposes its own values on others; instead, it advocates that the peoples of all countries seek the greatest common denominator of universally recognised value concepts, providing a common value bond for the broadest possible unity of human society.

“美美与共，和而不同”的方法论原则。世界各民族在漫长的历史长河中创造出多姿多彩的文明，绘写了波澜壮阔的文明图谱，文明应该是多彩而丰富的，这是人类文明演进的规律和事实。正是人类文明呈现出的多样性，才决定了不同文明应该而且可以包容共存、交流互鉴，推动了人类社会历史进程。“和而不同”的文化基因，从根本上决定了中华民族对外交流交往的价值取向，决定了中华民族始终追求的是文明平等互鉴而非文化霸权。中国共产党从来不将自己的价值观念强加于人，而是倡导世界各国人民寻求普遍认同的价值理念的最大同心圆，为人类社会实现最广泛的团结提供共同的价值纽带。

The Historical Experience of Maintaining a Global Vision

坚持胸怀天下的历史经验

“Maintaining a global vision” is a precious experience and distinctive trait crystallised through long-term practice. The CPC’s “seeking progress for humanity and great harmony for the world” is consistent with the historical experience of “maintaining a global vision”. History and practice have proven that the CPC’s consistent adherence to maintaining a global vision is an important guarantee that the Party and the people will always remain invincible, and is the fundamental driving force for the continuous success of the Party’s and the people’s cause. This must be upheld, improved, enriched and developed in the external work of the New Era.

“坚持胸怀天下”是历经长期实践而凝结的宝贵经验和鲜明特质。中国共产党“为人类谋进步、为世界谋大同”与“坚持胸怀天下”的历史经验一脉相承。历史和实践证明，中国共产党始终坚持胸怀天下，是党和人民始终立于不败之地的重要保证，是党和人民事业不断成功的根本动力，必须在新时代对外工作中坚持完善、丰富发展。

During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, the CPC led the Chinese people in bloody struggles and unyielding efforts, successfully achieving national independence and the liberation of the people, setting a shining example for the world’s national liberation movements and greatly inspiring the struggles of oppressed nations and oppressed peoples worldwide for liberation. At the same time, holding high the banner of the Anti-Japanese National United Front, it united hundreds of millions of Chinese people in shared hatred of the enemy and joint resistance to foreign aggression, waging a fourteen-year arduous War of Resistance against Japan, making a major contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War.

新民主主义革命时期，中国共产党带领中国人民浴血奋战、百折不挠，成功实现民族独立、人民解放，为世界民族解放运动树立光辉榜样，极大鼓舞全世界被压迫民族和被压迫人民争取解放的斗争。同时，高举抗日民族统一战线的旗帜，团结亿万中国人民同仇敌忾、共御外侮，进行长达十四年艰苦卓绝的抗日战争，为世界反法西斯战争胜利作出了重大贡献。

In the early days after the founding of New China, facing the military threats, economic blockades and diplomatic isolation of imperialism, the CPC still regarded “peace, friendship and human progress” as “matters of global importance” and actively expressed the grand vision that “China ought to make greater contributions to humanity”. [4]4 A phrase from Mao Zedong’s 1956 essay “In Commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China”, expressing China’s internationalist ambition. The Chinese People’s Volunteers entered the Korean War and won the great victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, securing a long-term peaceful external environment for the cause of socialist construction. The CPC proposed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence—mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence—and, within its capacity, supported and assisted the struggles of the Third World for national liberation and independence. This contributed to the reconstruction and stability of the post-World War II international order and won broad respect and praise from the international community.

新中国成立之初，面对帝国主义的军事威胁、经贸封锁、外交孤立，中国共产党仍将“和平友好，人类进步”视为“天下大事”，积极表达了“中国应当对于人类有较大的贡献”的宏伟愿景。中国人民志愿军入朝作战，赢得抗美援朝战争伟大胜利，使社会主义建设事业获得了长期和平的外部环境。中国共产党提出互相尊重主权和领土完整、互不侵犯、互不干涉内政、平等互利、和平共处五项原则，在力所能及的范围内支持和援助第三世界争取民族解放和独立的斗争，有助于二战后国际秩序的重建和稳定，赢得国际社会广泛尊重与赞誉。

After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the CPC, the Party adhered to the ideological line of seeking truth from facts and emancipating the mind, timely adjusted the country’s diplomatic work and foreign relations, participated in international affairs with a more open posture, strove to promote the establishment of a just and reasonable new international political and economic order, advanced lasting world peace and common prosperity, promoted multipolarity and the democratisation of international relations, steered economic globalisation in a direction conducive to common prosperity, unequivocally opposed hegemonism and power politics, and firmly safeguarded the interests of developing countries.

党的十一届三中全会后，中国共产党坚持解放思想、实事求是的思想路线，适时调整国家的外交工作和对外关系，以更加开放的姿态参与国际事务，努力推动建立公正合理的国际政治经济新秩序，促进世界持久和平、共同繁荣，推进世界多极化和国际关系民主化，推动经济全球化朝着有利于共同繁荣的方向发展，旗帜鲜明反对霸权主义和强权政治，坚定维护广大发展中国家利益。

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, with a high degree of historical confidence and a strong sense of responsibility, has comprehensively coordinated the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes unseen in a century in the world. Through concrete actions and outstanding achievements, it has demonstrated the CPC’s world vision and historical commitment to developing itself, benefiting all under heaven, and contributing to the well-being of the world. It strives to make new contributions to world peace and development with the new achievements of Chinese-path modernization, and continuously provides Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for humanity’s exploration of modernization paths and better social systems.

党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央以高度的历史自信和强烈的责任担当，统筹把握中华民族伟大复兴的战略全局和世界百年未有之大变局，以实际行动和卓越成绩彰显中国共产党坚持发展自己、兼济天下、造福世界的世界理念和历史担当，努力以中国式现代化新成就为世界和平与发展事业作出新贡献，不断为人类探索现代化道路和更好社会制度提供中国智慧与中国方案。

The Era-Consciousness of Adapting to World Changes

顺应世界变局的时代自觉

With the in-depth development of economic globalization and political multipolarity, the international political and economic landscape is accelerating its transformation, deep-seated contradictions in global development are becoming increasingly prominent, the balance of international forces is growing more equal, and changes in the international order and global governance system are deepening. The world has entered a period of turbulent transformation. General Secretary Xi Jinping made the major judgment that “the world today is undergoing major changes unseen in a century.” [5]5 This This turbulent transformation is not a change of one moment, one event, one region, or one country, but a change of the world, of the times, and of history unfolding in unprecedented ways.

随着经济全球化和政治多极化深入发展，国际政治经济格局加速演变，全球发展深层次矛盾日益突出，国际力量对比日趋均衡，国际秩序和全球治理体系变革更加深入，世界进入动荡变革期，习近平总书记作出“当今世界正经历百年未有之大变局”的重大研判。这一动荡变局不是一时一事、一域一国之变，而是以前所未有的方式展开的世界之变、时代之变、历史之变。

Major changes give rise to opportunities and transformations, but are also full of risks and challenges. On the one hand, the collective rise of emerging market countries and developing countries, represented by China, has fundamentally altered the balance of international forces and the international political landscape. No single country or group of countries can any longer dominate world affairs alone. Science and technology have become a revolutionary force leading the major changes. Breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, quantum technology, and genetic engineering are giving birth to a large number of new industries, new business forms, and new models. Human society is on the eve of a great development and leap in productive forces. On the other hand, various old and new factors, forces, and contradictions are overlapping and colliding, leading to increasing instability and uncertainty in the international situation. Economic globalization is encountering headwinds, and unilateralism, protectionism, and hegemonism pose threats to world peace and development. Humanity is in an era where challenges emerge one after another and risks are increasing day by day.

大变局催生机遇与变革，也充满风险和挑战。一方面，以中国为代表的新兴市场国家和发展中国家群体性崛起，从根本上改变了国际力量对比和国际政治格局，任何国家或者国家集团都再也无法单独主宰世界事务。科学技术成为引领大变局的革命性力量，人工智能、大数据、量子技术、基因工程等前沿科技不断取得突破，催生大量新产业、新业态、新模式，人类社会处于生产力大发展大跃升的前夜。另一方面，各种新旧因素、力量、矛盾相互叠加碰撞，国际局势不稳定性不确定性日益突出，经济全球化遭遇逆流，单边主义、保护主义、霸权主义对世界和平与发展构成威胁，人类正处在一个挑战层出不穷、风险日益增多的时代。

“Seeking progress for humanity and common good for the world” is precisely the Chinese solution of the CPC in response to the changes unseen in a century in the world. Facing the volatile international situation, the complex and sensitive surrounding environment, and the arduous and heavy tasks of reform, development, and maintaining stability, the CPC accurately identifies changes, responds scientifically, and actively seeks change. It fully leverages its unique political advantages, institutional advantages, development advantages, and opportunity advantages, actively prepares to deal with a series of new risks and challenges, creates new prospects amidst major world changes, and turns crises into opportunities amidst external challenges and threats.

“为人类谋进步、为世界谋大同”正是中国共产党顺应世界百年未有之大变局的中国方案。面对波谲云诡的国际形势、复杂敏感的周边环境、艰巨繁重的改革发展稳定任务，中国共产党准确识变、科学应变、主动求变，充分发挥独特的政治优势、制度优势、发展优势和机遇优势，积极做好应对一系列新的风险挑战的准备，在世界大变局中开创新局、在外部挑战与威胁中化危为机。

The CPC has always unswervingly stood on the right side of history and on the side of human civilization and progress. Taking “seeking progress for humanity and common good for the world” as its value pursuit, it leads the Chinese people to join hands with the people of the world in creating a better future for humanity, pushes the wheel of history forward toward a bright future, continuously contributes Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to solving major global problems, and builds consensus and synergy for promoting human development and progress.

中国共产党始终坚定不移地站在历史正确的一边、站在人类文明进步的一边，将“为人类谋进步、为世界谋大同”作为价值追求，带领中国人民与世界人民携手共创人类更加美好的未来，推动历史车轮向着光明的前途前进，持续不断为解决全球重大问题贡献中国智慧和中国方案，为推动人类发展与进步凝聚共识与合力。

(The author is a professor at the School of Marxism, Fudan University)

（作者系复旦大学马克思主义学院教授）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心