China’s party diplomacy in play as communist leaders gather for parade

The past week has been a flurry of not only state-level diplomacy but also party-to-party outreach, with President Xi Jinping receiving a series of leaders from the four remaining communist countries on a single day.

Xi held meetings with leaders from Cuba, North Korea, Laos and Vietnam, all of whom attended Wednesday’s military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the war against Japanese aggression.

While Beijing has no interest in promoting a communist international movement as the Soviet Union did during the Cold War, party-to-party interactions remain an important part of China’s diplomatic strategy – particularly with communist parties.

The Communist Party’s International Department – the party’s diplomatic branch – is central to Beijing’s dealings with these leaders and their ruling communist parties, with the department’s director usually sitting by Xi’s side in these bilateral meetings.

The ministerial-level department has established connections with more than 600 parties in other countries over the years and has become a key diplomatic channel for China, according to state media.

It has played an increasingly active role in recent years, becoming a vehicle to ramp up diplomatic engagement with the Middle East, for instance.

South China Morning Post