From the summit meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tashkent to the non-official meeting of the APEC leaders, to serial summit meetings of the ASEAN; and from Russia, France to Gabon, Cuba, the busy activities of the Chinese leaders brought to the world the frank and open demeanor of a great country, a practical and highly effective style in China's diplomatic work. The following "catchwords" represent at a certain level several "spotlights" in China's diplomatic work in the year of 2004.

Taking people as basis for outset

"Taking people as basis for outset" is the catchword most frequently used in the political terminology. At the second session of the 10th NPC Li Zhaoxing, Chinese foreign minister talked eloquently to the media Chinese and foreign, saying that it was necessary to "take the people as basis for outset" in doing diplomacy, to "feel pressed for what the people want us to do" and "think of what the people are thinking". What Li Zhaoxing expressed is something based on the reality. In present days, more and more Chinese people are stepping out from the country to do either businesses or tours and accordingly they are also meeting with daily increasing difficulties abroad. This year we read frequently from papers that the Chinese people were kidnapped or died of accidents, which touched now and then the heartstrings of the Chinese people including the state leaders. The Chinese "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" has "not only to speak but also to act", speedily dispatching working groups to help with the rescuing and follow-up work to every minute detail.

To make this work mechanized the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has specially set up an inter-departmental joint meeting system for the protection of Chinese people and organizations abroad and a mechanism for handling urgent matters abroad, strengthening the issuance of consular information. The Chinese diplomatic work is now forging ahead along the road of "taking people as basis for outset".

Free trade zone

In November, China signed with the ASEAN the "Agreement for Goods Trade of Framework Agreement for Full Economic Cooperation" and the "Protocol Mechanism for Dispute Solutions", thus making a substantial step forward for the establishment of China �C ASEAN Free Trade Zone in 2010, one of the most "brilliant" fruit harvested out from the serial ASEAN summit meetings this year.

The same month witnessed the joint announcement for the launching of the talk on the setting up of Sino-Chilean free trade area by President Hu Jintao and Chilean president during his visit to Chile. Once the setting-up of the free trade zone is completed, said an authoritative official it will become another successful example for the South-South Cooperation.

Not long afterwards, the Sino-New Zealand and Sino-Pakistani talks on the establishment of free trade zones have been started one after another. In a short time the "establishment of free trade zone" has come to be in vogue, making people to look forward to the bright vista of the great trade areas in the days to come.

Lift the ban on military sales to China

Public opinion has it that this year is the "European Year" for the Chinese diplomacy, which indicated a time-and-again warming-up of the Sino-European relations. However, the 15-year-long ban on the military sales to China pursued by the EU proves to be the stumbling block to the further development of the bilateral relations between the two parties.

At the Sino-European summit meeting held in December the EU still failed to give any good tiding to the Chinese people by flaunting the banner of "problem of human rights", and even went so far as to say that the ban-lift will be of no good for the situation along the Taiwan Straits. Premier Wen Jiabao pointed out in his reply, the prohibition of military sales to China was a product of the cold war period and China's request of its revocation did not mean that China wanted to buy weapons but an opposition to the discrimination in the political field.

Nevertheless, the favorable Sino-European relations should be built on a dual-win basis and afterwards, leader of the EU had breathed for several times later on. Solana, person in charge of the diplomatic affairs said, the party concerned would probably lift the ban within the first half of next year. The EU president in turn, Dutch foreign minister also hinted many a time that the EU was making efforts to wipe out obstacles internal and external for the development of the Sino-EU relations.

Cold politics and heated economy

In 2004, Sino-Japanese relations traversed through a path featuring cold in politics but heated in economy. Following Jiang Zemin's visit to Japan in 1998 and Junichiro Koizumi's visit to China in 2001, the mutual visits by high-level Japan-China leaders came to a standstill. For several times the Japanese high-ranking officials paid visits to Yasukuni Shrine in order to dodge away from the problems in history and they also issued visa to Lee Teng-hui, a diehard of "Taiwan Independence" to visit Japan. This has time and again saddened the hearts of the Chinese people.

Contrary to the chilled diplomatic relations the Sino-Japanese economic relations are on a ceaseless expansion. However, some scholars put forward that the continuous cold in politics has already exerted serious negative influence on the Sino-Japanese economic and trade exchanges. Should the "cold in politics and heated in economy" be turned into "cold both in politics and in economy" it will be something that the two countries are not pleased to have it happen.

Big country diplomacy

Last autumn, Beijing hosted one after another many distinguished state-heads: Jacques Rene Chirac, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, XX and Gerhard Schroeder. The international opinion has it that these persons of heavy weight paid their visits to China one in the wake of the other indicate that China is becoming an important arena for the world giants in political and economic circles to maneuver their global strategic ambitions. Experts are of the opinion, under the present international situation, to get in close touch with the big countries, especially to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the traditionally friendly countries has become a type of new country-to-country relation, a necessary choice for diplomatic relations among big countries.

China is now in the process of realizing its own national interests when engaging in exchanges and dealings with those big countries. China and Russia have thoroughly solved the boundary problem, providing a guarantee to the amiable relations between the two countries. The strategic partnership has been deepened between China and France, and China and Germany and will see a closer coordination in international affairs whereas in the Sino-US relations of great concern to people the two countries have expressed their cooperation in opposing the "Taiwan Independence", indicating that the "constructive cooperation" between the two big countries to have reached the "best period in history".

By People's Daily Online