Deeply Advancing the Building of a Community with a Shared Future for Neighboring Countries

From April 14 to 18, President Xi Jinping conducted state visits to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia, achieving a series of important outcomes and writing a new chapter in which China and its neighboring countries join hands to build a community with a shared future and jointly march toward modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at the Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries: “We must focus on building a community with a shared future for neighboring countries and strive to open up new prospects in work relating to neighboring countries.” [1]1 The Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries was held in Beijing in April 2025, the first such high-level meeting dedicated to neighboring countries since the Symposium on Neighborhood Diplomacy in 2013. This provides a fundamental guideline and points the way forward for doing a good job in work relating to neighboring countries under the new circumstances. We must deeply understand and grasp the great significance, work framework, and value concepts of building a community with a shared future for neighboring countries, strengthen our sense of mission and responsibility in doing a good job in work relating to neighboring countries, share opportunities and seek common development with neighboring countries, and contribute greater strength to peace, stability, prosperity, and development in the region and the world, and to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

4月14日至18日，习近平主席对越南、马来西亚、柬埔寨进行国事访问，取得了一系列重要成果，书写了中国与周边国家携手构建命运共同体、共同迈向现代化的崭新篇章。习近平总书记在中央周边工作会议上强调：“要聚焦构建周边命运共同体，努力开创周边工作新局面。”这为在新形势下做好周边工作提供了根本遵循、指明了前进方向。我们要深刻理解和把握构建周边命运共同体的重大意义、工作框架、价值理念等，增强做好周边工作的使命感责任感，与周边国家共享机遇、共谋发展，为地区和世界和平稳定繁荣发展、为构建人类命运共同体贡献更大力量。

Focus on building a community with a shared future for neighboring countries and do a good job in work relating to neighboring countries

聚焦周边命运共同体建设做好周边工作

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, China has put forward the concept of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness in its neighborhood diplomacy, and advocated and promoted the building of a community with a shared future for neighboring countries. [2]2 The concept of “amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness” (亲诚惠容) was formally articulated by Xi Jinping at the 2013 Symposium on Neighborhood Diplomacy as the guiding principle for China’s relations with its neighbors. Today, China has reached consensus with 17 neighboring countries on building a community with a shared future, forming “two major clusters” of communities with a shared future in the Indochina Peninsula and Central Asia. [3]3 The “two major clusters” refer to the groups of countries in the Indochina Peninsula (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar) and Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan) that have agreed to build communities with a shared future with China. To do a good job in work relating to neighboring countries under the new circumstances, we must focus on building a community with a shared future for neighboring countries, comprehensively deepen relations with neighboring countries, and promote friendly cooperation between China and neighboring countries to open up new horizons.

党的十八大以来，在以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚强领导下，中国提出亲诚惠容周边外交理念，倡导推动构建周边命运共同体。如今，中国已同周边17国达成构建命运共同体共识，在中南半岛和中亚地区形成命运共同体“两大集群”。在新形势下做好周边工作，要聚焦周边命运共同体建设，全面深化同周边国家关系，推动中国与周边国家友好合作开辟新境界。

Clarify the long-term strategic positioning of work relating to neighboring countries. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Whether from the perspective of geographical location, natural environment, or mutual relations, neighboring countries are of extremely important strategic significance to our country.” China has a vast territory, long borders, and many neighboring countries, and its neighboring relations and neighboring environment are very complex. The neighboring region is the foundation for China’s survival and development and the basis for its prosperity. Since the New Era, China has successively held the Symposium on Neighborhood Diplomacy and the Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries, carrying out medium- and long-term top-level design and work deployment for work relating to neighboring countries. [4]4 The Symposium on Neighborhood Diplomacy (周边外交工作座谈会) was a high-level meeting held in October 2013, chaired by Xi Jinping, which set the strategic direction for China’s neighborhood policy for the following decade. The main tasks of the Symposium on Neighborhood Diplomacy held in October 2013 were to sum up experience, assess the situation, unify thinking, open up the future, determine the strategic goals, basic principles, and overall layout of neighborhood diplomacy for the next five to ten years, and clarify the work ideas and implementation plans for solving major problems facing neighborhood diplomacy. The Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries held in April 2025 systematically summarized the achievements and experience of China’s work relating to neighboring countries since the New Era, scientifically analyzed the situation, clarified the goals, tasks, ideas, and measures for work relating to neighboring countries in the coming period, and emphasized focusing on building a community with a shared future for neighboring countries and striving to open up new prospects in work relating to neighboring countries. Both conferences are of extremely important strategic significance. The Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries pointed out: “Neighboring countries are an important foundation for achieving development and prosperity, a key point for safeguarding national security, the primary consideration in the overall planning of diplomacy, and the key to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.” This further clarifies the top-level design and basic positioning of China’s neighborhood strategy and points the way for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for neighboring countries.

明确周边工作的长远战略定位。习近平总书记强调：“无论从地理方位、自然环境还是相互关系看，周边对我国都具有极为重要的战略意义。”我国幅员辽阔、边界线长，邻国众多，周边关系和周边环境十分复杂。周边地区是我国的安身立命之所、发展繁荣之基。新时代以来，我国先后召开周边外交工作座谈会、中央周边工作会议，对周边工作进行中长期顶层设计和工作部署。2013年10月召开的周边外交工作座谈会的主要任务是，总结经验、研判形势、统一思想、开拓未来，确定今后5年至10年周边外交工作的战略目标、基本方针、总体布局，明确解决周边外交面临的重大问题的工作思路和实施方案。2025年4月召开的中央周边工作会议，系统总结新时代以来我国周边工作的成就和经验，科学分析形势，明确了今后一个时期周边工作的目标任务和思路举措，强调要聚焦构建周边命运共同体，努力开创周边工作新局面。这两次会议都具有极为重要的战略意义。中央周边工作会议提出：“周边是实现发展繁荣的重要基础、维护国家安全的重点、运筹外交全局的首要、推动构建人类命运共同体的关键。”这进一步明确了我国周边战略的顶层设计和基本定位，为推动构建周边命运共同体指明了方向。

Grasp the historic achievements and historic transformations in work relating to neighboring countries. The Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries held that: “Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we have put forward the concept of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness in neighborhood diplomacy, advocated and promoted the building of a community with a shared future for neighboring countries, taken head-of-state diplomacy as the guide, deepened all-round cooperation with neighboring countries, strengthened exchanges in various fields, jointly maintained peace and stability, formed a pragmatic and efficient work framework for neighboring countries, and promoted historic achievements and historic transformations in work relating to neighboring countries.” Generally speaking, the historic achievements and historic transformations in work relating to neighboring countries are mainly manifested in promoting and forming a situation of common development and common security between China and its neighboring countries. For example, jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative has provided a broad cooperation platform for China and its neighboring countries to jointly march toward modernization and high-quality development. China’s development strategy is aligned with the development strategies of neighboring countries and the development strategies of various regional cooperation organizations, forming a trend of parallel development of neighboring relations and genuine multilateralism. China, together with neighboring countries, implements the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, [5]5 The Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, and Global Civilization Initiative are three major foreign policy frameworks proposed by Xi Jinping between 2021 and 2023, aimed at addressing global challenges through multilateral cooperation. closely cooperates in the governance of global issues such as climate change, cybersecurity, and sustainable development, injecting more stability and positive energy into the world, and also providing rich and practical valuable experience for the building of a community with a shared future for neighboring countries.

把握周边工作取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革。中央周边工作会议认为：“党的十八大以来，在以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚强领导下，我们提出亲诚惠容周边外交理念，倡导推动构建周边命运共同体，以元首外交为引领，同周边国家深化全方位合作、加强各领域交流、共同维护和平稳定，形成务实高效的周边工作框架，推动周边工作取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革。”总的来看，周边工作取得历史性成就、发生历史性变革，主要是促进和形成了中国与周边国家共同发展和共同安全的局面。比如，共建“一带一路”为中国和周边国家共同迈向现代化和高质量发展提供了广阔合作平台。中国的发展战略与周边国家的发展战略、各种地区合作组织的发展战略相互对接，形成周边关系和真正的多边主义并行发展的态势。中国与周边国家一道落实全球发展倡议、全球安全倡议、全球文明倡议，在气候变化、网络安全、可持续发展等全球性问题治理上密切合作，给世界注入更多稳定性和正能量，也为周边命运共同体建设提供了丰富实用的宝贵经验。

Deeply advance the building of a community with a shared future for neighboring countries. How can the building of a community with a shared future for neighboring countries be deeply advanced, upgraded, and improved in quality? This requires a scientific grasp and precise analysis of the global and neighboring strategic environment. In assessing China’s relations with its neighboring countries, on the one hand, the Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries pointed out: “Currently, China’s relations with its neighboring countries are at their best period since modern times.” This shows that after long-term efforts, especially since entering the New Era, the building of a community with a shared future for neighboring countries faces valuable opportunities. On the other hand, the Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries pointed out that we have also entered an important stage of deep linkage between the neighboring landscape and world changes. The world today is undergoing changes unseen in a century, with turbulence and interweaving, high winds and choppy waters, and increasing instability and uncertainty. The building of a community with a shared future for neighboring countries also faces severe challenges. With the continuity and stability of neighborhood diplomacy policy, and with the solid foundation laid by the historic achievements and historic transformations in work relating to neighboring countries, China will have more confidence, more assurance, and more strategic resolve in deeply advancing the building of a community with a shared future for neighboring countries.

深入推进周边命运共同体建设。周边命运共同体建设如何深入推进、提质升级？这需要对全球和周边战略环境进行科学把握和精准分析。在对我国同周边关系的研判上，一方面，中央周边工作会议指出：“当前我国同周边关系处于近代以来最好的时期”。这说明经过长期努力，尤其是进入新时代以来，周边命运共同体建设面临宝贵机遇。另一方面，中央周边工作会议指出，我们同时也进入周边格局和世界变局深度联动的重要阶段。当今世界正处于百年未有之大变局，变乱交织，风高浪急，不稳定性不确定性加剧，周边命运共同体建设也面临着严峻挑战。有了周边外交政策的延续性和稳定性，有了周边工作历史性成就、历史性变革所奠定的坚实基础，我国在深入推进周边命运共同体建设时，将更有底气、更有信心，更有战略定力。

The work framework for neighboring countries is a solid support for the building of a community with a shared future for neighboring countries

周边工作框架是周边命运共同体建设的坚实支撑

Overall planning and coordination of work relating to neighboring countries represents a systematic progress in China’s neighborhood strategy. Compared with the Symposium on Neighborhood Diplomacy held in October 2013, the Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries expanded “neighborhood diplomacy work” to “work relating to neighboring countries,” fully demonstrating that neighboring affairs have expanded from the diplomatic field to broader neighboring affairs, becoming an all-round work that coordinates internal and external affairs and takes into account economic, political, diplomatic, and other work. Changing “symposium” to “conference” reflects the Party’s comprehensive attention to work relating to neighboring countries.

统筹协调周边工作，是我国周边战略的一次系统性的进步。相较于2013年10月召开的周边外交工作座谈会，中央周边工作会议将“周边外交工作”扩展为“周边工作”，充分显示出周边事务从外交领域向更广泛周边事务拓展，成为统筹内外，兼顾经济、政治、外交等工作的全方位工作。将“座谈会”改为“工作会议”，体现了我们党对周边工作的全面重视。

When mentioning the historic achievements and experience of China’s work relating to neighboring countries, the Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries pointed out: “forming a pragmatic and efficient work framework for neighboring countries.” To do a good job in work relating to neighboring countries, we must adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, closely focus on the central tasks of the Party and the state, and coordinate the two overall situations and the two major events. [6]6 “The two overall situations” refers to the domestic and international situations; “the two major events” refers to development and security. Work relating to neighboring countries is an organic part of the Party Central Committee’s governance of the country, complementing other important work and jointly serving the central tasks of the Party and the state. Work relating to neighboring countries must coordinate the two overall situations of domestic and international affairs. Today, China is increasingly moving to the center of the world stage, and China’s development first affects neighboring countries, and then the world. This requires that work relating to neighboring countries must establish a work framework that coordinates internal and external affairs, and coordinate the two major events of development and security. Development and security are the “two wheels” of work relating to neighboring countries. Work relating to neighboring countries needs to maintain a balance between development and security in a complex environment, promoting security with development and development with security.

中央周边工作会议在提到我国周边工作的历史性成就和经验时指出：“形成务实高效的周边工作框架”。做好周边工作，要坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，紧紧围绕党和国家中心任务，统筹好两个大局、两件大事。周边工作是党中央治国理政的有机组成部分，与其他重要工作相辅相成，共同服务于党和国家中心任务。周边工作要统筹国内国际两个大局。当今中国日益走近世界舞台中央，中国的发展首先影响到周边，进而影响全球。这就要求周边工作必须建立内外统筹的工作框架，统筹发展安全两件大事。发展与安全是周边工作的“两个轮子”，周边工作需要在复杂的环境中保持发展与安全的平衡，促进有发展的安全、有安全的发展。

The Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries put forward requirements and made arrangements for the smooth operation of the work framework for neighboring countries from both internal and external aspects. Internally, to do a good job in work relating to neighboring countries, we must strengthen the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, strengthen coordination and cooperation among all parties, deepen institutional and mechanism reforms, improve the foreign-related legal and regulatory system, strengthen capacity and team building, and promote innovation in the theory and practice of work relating to neighboring countries. Externally, to build a community with a shared future for neighboring countries, we must consolidate strategic mutual trust with neighboring countries, support regional countries in steadily following their own development paths, and properly manage differences and disputes; deepen development integration, build a high-level connectivity network, and strengthen cooperation in industrial and supply chains; jointly maintain regional stability, carry out security and law enforcement cooperation, and respond to various risks and challenges; expand exchanges and interactions, and facilitate personnel exchanges.

中央周边工作会议从对内和对外两个方面对周边工作框架的顺利运行提出了要求、作出了部署。对内，做好周边工作，要加强党中央集中统一领导，加强各方面协调配合。深化体制机制改革，完善涉外法律法规体系。加强能力和队伍建设，推进周边工作理论和实践创新。对外，构建周边命运共同体，要与周边国家巩固战略互信，支持地区国家走稳自身发展道路，妥善管控矛盾分歧；深化发展融合，构建高水平互联互通网络，加强产业链供应链合作；共同维护地区稳定，开展安全和执法合作，应对各类风险挑战；扩大交往交流，便利人员往来。

The framework for neighboring-country work must maintain innovative vitality and further consolidate and expand major cooperation platforms, so as to adapt to the rapidly growing new demands for development and security cooperation between China and its neighboring countries. The Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries pointed out: “Take high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative as the main platform, and take the Asian security model of sharing weal and woe, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and dialogue and consultation as the strategic support.” [7]7 The Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries was held in Beijing in October 2023, the first such high-level meeting dedicated to China’s relations with its neighbors since the 2013 Peripheral Diplomacy Work Forum. In terms of the development platform, high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative was first proposed in neighboring countries and has also first benefited neighboring countries. At present, China has signed Belt and Road cooperation agreements with 25 neighboring countries and has become the largest trading partner of 18 of them. The joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative has also formed a three-dimensional connectivity network covering neighboring countries, which has not only promoted hard connectivity, soft connectivity, and people-to-people connectivity between China and neighboring countries, but also among neighboring countries themselves and within neighboring countries. In terms of strategic support, in recent years China has practiced the Asian security concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, actively participated in and creatively resolved many traditional and non-traditional security issues in neighboring countries, and gradually formed an Asian security model of sharing weal and woe, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and dialogue and consultation. This has effectively supported the framework for neighboring-country work and provided neighboring countries with regional public goods different from the hegemonic model of Western great powers.

周边工作框架要保持创新活力，进一步巩固扩展主要合作平台，以适应中国与周边国家快速增长的发展与安全合作新需求。中央周边工作会议指出：“以高质量共建‘一带一路’为主要平台，以安危与共、求同存异、对话协商的亚洲安全模式为战略支撑”。从发展平台方面来说，高质量共建“一带一路”首倡于周边，也首先惠及周边。目前，中国已同周边25国签署共建“一带一路”合作协议，成为18国的最大贸易伙伴。共建“一带一路”还形成覆盖周边国家的立体互联互通网络，不仅促进了中国与周边国家之间，也促进了周边国家之间以及周边国家内部的硬联通、软联通、心联通。从战略支撑方面来说，近年来中国践行共同、综合、合作、可持续的亚洲安全观，积极参与并创造性地解决不少周边传统安全问题和非传统安全问题，逐渐形成安危与共、求同存异、对话协商的亚洲安全模式，有力支撑了周边工作框架，为周边提供了不同于西方大国霸权模式的地区性公共产品。

The Value System of the Community with a Shared Future for Neighboring Countries

周边命运共同体的价值理念体系

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Our neighboring-country diplomatic strategy and work must keep pace with the times and be more proactive.” The Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries pointed out: “Take building a ‘five-home garden’ of peace, tranquility, prosperity, beauty, and friendship as the common vision; take good-neighborliness, security for neighbors, prosperity for neighbors, amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness, and a shared future as the guiding principles and policies; and take the Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness, and inclusiveness as the basic guidelines.” This shows that the value system of our Party’s neighboring-country work is continuously improving.

习近平总书记指出：“我们的周边外交战略和工作必须与时俱进、更加主动。”中央周边工作会议指出：“以建设和平、安宁、繁荣、美丽、友好‘五大家园’为共同愿景，以睦邻、安邻、富邻、亲诚惠容、命运与共为理念方针，以和平、合作、开放、包容的亚洲价值观为基本遵循”。这表明，我们党的周边工作的价值理念体系不断完善。

The evolution of the common vision. The “five-home garden” is a concrete expression of the overall goal of the “five worlds” [8]8 The “five worlds” are the five goals for building a community with a shared future for mankind: a world of peace, a world of security, a world of prosperity, a world of openness and inclusiveness, and a world of clean and beautiful environment. for building a community with a shared future for mankind in neighboring-country work, and it is very Asian in character. Asian countries value family harmony, are committed to building neighborhood relations and home gardens on a larger scale, and regard the state as a common home for their people. Treating neighboring countries as a common home to be managed is more in line with the customary characteristics of Asian survival and development, and with the basic thinking of Asian countries on development and cooperation. It is more suitable as a common vision for building a community with a shared future for neighboring countries.

共同愿景的演进。“五大家园”是构建人类命运共同体“五个世界”总目标在周边工作中的具体表达，非常具有亚洲特色。亚洲国家重视家庭和谐，致力于更大范围的邻里关系和家园建设，将国家视为本国人民共有的家园。把周边视为共同的家园来经营，更符合亚洲生存发展的习惯特征、亚洲国家发展合作的基本思路，更适合作为周边命运共同体建设的共同愿景。

The enrichment of guiding principles and policies. At the beginning of this century, China put forward the diplomatic policy of building a partnership of good-neighborliness and friendship with neighboring countries, treating them as friends and partners, and bringing them security and prosperity. This was widely recognized by neighboring countries. Since the New Era, the guiding principles and policies of China’s neighboring-country diplomacy have kept pace with the times. The Symposium on the Diplomatic Work with Neighboring Countries put forward the concept of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness, clearly conveying the guiding principles and policies of China’s neighboring-country diplomacy in the New Era. The Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries added “a shared future” after “amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness,” further highlighting the profound connotation of a community with a shared future for mankind, which shares weal and woe. This makes the expression of China’s neighboring-country diplomatic policy more comprehensive, more characteristic of the times, and imbued with expectations for the future.

理念方针的丰富。本世纪初，我国在周边工作实践中提出与邻为善、以邻为伴，睦邻、安邻、富邻的外交方针，周边国家广为认可。新时代以来，我国周边外交的理念方针与时俱进。周边外交工作座谈会提出亲诚惠容的理念，清晰传达了新时代中国周边外交的理念方针。中央周边工作会议在“亲诚惠容”后面又增加了“命运与共”，更加凸显人类命运共同体休戚与共的深刻内涵。这使我国周边外交方针的表述更加全面，更具时代特征、蕴含未来期待。

The establishment of basic guidelines. Neighboring-country work is a two-way and multi-directional complex interaction. It must reflect China’s values while also reflecting the values of neighboring countries and Asia as a whole. The Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries clarified the connotation of Asian values shared by neighboring countries, namely peace, cooperation, openness, and inclusiveness. Since the end of World War II, as some Asian countries have gradually embarked on the path of modernization and achieved significant economic and social progress, deeper issues such as the Asian values behind the promotion of Asian revitalization have emerged. With the development of Chinese-path modernization, especially China’s willingness to achieve modernization together with developing countries and all countries in the world, this has further driven the new development of Asian values. The connotation of Asian values includes both the historical culture and fine traditions shared by Asian countries, as well as the formation of new common values among Asian countries in the process of jointly advancing toward modernization. Peace, cooperation, openness, and inclusiveness fully embody the main content of Asian traditional culture and modern spirit, and thus have become the common value guidelines for China and its neighboring countries.

基本遵循的确立。周边工作是双向和多向的复杂互动，既要体现中国的价值理念，又要体现周边和亚洲整体的价值理念。中央周边工作会议明确了周边国家共有的亚洲价值观的内涵，即和平、合作、开放、包容。自二战结束以来，伴随着一些亚洲国家逐渐走上现代化道路，经济社会发展取得长足进步，有关促进亚洲振兴背后的亚洲价值观等深层次问题随之兴起。随着中国式现代化发展，尤其是中国提出愿意与发展中国家和世界各国共同迈向现代化，进一步带动了亚洲价值观的新发展。亚洲价值观的内涵既包括亚洲国家共同拥有的历史文化、优良传统，也包括亚洲国家在共同迈向现代化进程中新的共同价值观的形成。和平、合作、开放、包容，充分体现亚洲传统文化与现代精神的主要内容，因而成为中国与周边国家共同的价值遵循。

(The author is a professor at the School of International Studies, Peking University)

（作者为北京大学国际关系学院教授）

(This article was drafted by the Global Times editorial board and edited by the Theory Department of the People’s Daily)

（本文由环球时报社组稿、人民日报社理论部编辑）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心