The People's Daily, the leading Chinese newspaper, on August 24 front-pages an editorial to greet the three-day Central Meeting on Foreign Affairs Work that ended on Aug. 23. The editorial is entitled "Keeping up the building of harmonious society along the road of peaceful development", and its excerpts are as follow:

The convocation of the central meeting on foreign affairs work is a major strategic move taken by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to strengthen and improve the country's foreign affairs work.

Since the 16th CPC National Congress held in 2002, the CPC Central Committee with Hu Jintao as the general secretary, holding high the banner of peace, development and cooperation and adhering to the independent foreign policy of peace, has responded appropriately to the complex international situation and contributed positively to the world's peaceful development,

The foreign affairs work in the new era should take as guidance Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, and the important thought of the "three representatives," implement the outlook of scientific development in an all-round way, coordinate the overall international and domestic situation and, center around the Party's primary task of wielding power and invigorating the nation, unswervingly take the road of peaceful development and carry out foreign affairs work in a multi-dimensional manner.

It is imperative to coordinate the domestic and international situation. China should keep the direction of its development steady in view of both international and domestic situations, create conditions for development by tapping the resources of China and the world at large complimentary and take hold of the overall development by keeping abreast of the comprehensive functioning of domestic and international factors.

It is imperative to adhere to peaceful development. China should not only develop itself by the way of safeguard the world peace but promote the world peace through its self development, beef up its peaceful co-existence and mutual cooperation with other countries. Only in this way, can China create still better external conditions for its own development and ensures a still better, sustain development for itself.

It is essential to adhere to "mutual benefits and win-win" strategy in opening up. By stepping up its economic and technical cooperation with overseas, China will spur the economic globalization in the direction facilitating the common prosperity of all nations and, by reinforcing its cultural exchanges and cooperation, advance the civilization and progress of the humanity.

It is essential to persevere in the construction of a harmonious world. China should work wholeheartedly to co-exist with other countries politically, seek common growth economically, make each other's deficiency culturally and increase mutual understanding in security. Meanwhile, any actions detrimental to its sovereignty, security and development interests will resolutely opposed with a clear-cut stand.

It is imperative to keep to the idea of "taking the people first," and the foreign affairs work should serve and benefit all Chinese people. China will do still better substantial and down-to-earth things for the people of the developing nations and make more trustworthy friends among them, so as to keep solidifying the basis of its diplomatic affairs work.

As foreign affairs work is aimed at safeguarding the global peace and promoting common development, China will demonstrate to the world by its concrete deeds that the country has always been a vital force for safeguarding the world peace and promoting the common development and its people have always been the trustworthy friends and the friendly, cooperative partners of the people around the globe.

Meanwhile, the crux of matter in doing a superb job with the foreign affairs work in the new era lies in improving the leadership of the CPC, and those officials involved in the work are duty bound to work harder still and contribute themselves more to the prosperity of the nation and the wellbeing of its people with their outstanding work performance.

By People's Daily Online