‘Two sessions’ 2024: Premier Li Qiang vows China’s ‘new type’ of diplomacy will pursue equality and order

“We will remain firm in opposing all hegemonic, high-handed and bullying acts and upholding international fairness and justice.”

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Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivers his first work report amid concerns about state of the economy

At that time, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Communist Party leaders, senior government officials and diplomats to step up efforts to “elevate China’s international influence and … create a more favourable international environment” to “lay the strategic foundations of building a strong nation and achieve national rejuvenation”.

Once thought inevitable, China overtaking US in GDP now far from certain

The pledge on Tuesday came as Beijing announced a moderate increase in its diplomatic budget amid economic headwinds this year.

In the annual budget proposed by the Ministry of Finance, spending on diplomacy in 2024 will increase 6.6 per cent to 60.783 billion yuan (US$8.4 billion), mild growth compared with the 12.2 per cent budget increase last year when Beijing resumed its diplomatic engagement after three quiet years under Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

While the total spending will be just shy of the 2019 pre-pandemic peak of 61.539 billion yuan, it marks a notable contrast to the 11.8 per cent cut in 2020 and 1.9 per cent trim in 2021 before the 2.4 per cent boost in 2022.

Over the past decade, China has steadily ramped up its diplomatic offensive, trying to present itself as a key force in an increasingly multipolar world order, particularly in opposition to what Chinese state media describes as chaos in the United States and Europe.

It also seeks to cast itself as a neutral leader in the developing world, from the Middle East to Africa, where calls for reform of the Western-dominated international system have mounted.

To that end, Xi is expected to host leaders from Africa for the China-Africa cooperation forum. It is part of a broader effort to deepen China’s influence in the resource-rich region and bring together countries in the Global South, which has been increasingly important to Beijing, especially when ties with the US and Europe are strained by economic disputes, political tensions and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Beijing is also seeking to expand its diplomatic outreach.

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Marcos Jnr says Manila determined to use diplomacy to resolve South China Sea row with Beijing

For the first time in history, vice-premiers and state councillors will “represent the State Council to carry out foreign affairs activities under unified arrangement”, according to proposed revisions to the Organic Law of the State Council, which are expected to be endorsed by the national legislation in coming days.

Under its traditional arrangement, China has four vice-premiers and five state councillors.

However, the removal of Qin Gang, the former foreign minister, and Li Shangfu, the former defence minister, has brought the number of state councillors to just three: Wang Xiaohong, the public security minister, Wu Zhenglong, the secretary general of the State Council, and Shen Yiqin, the most senior woman in the leadership.

China’s top legislature vows to overcome US tech and science sanctions

Last month, he was in Budapest for a bilateral law enforcement conference when he pledged during a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to “deepen mutual political trust … and strengthen communication and collaboration in international and regional affairs” with the central European country.

South China Morning Post