The presentation traced the evolution of China's neighborhood policy and followed the Central Conference on Work Related to Neighboring Countries, held in April 2025—the first conference of its kind in the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The conference identified China's surrounding region as the country's highest foreign policy priority.
The speaker outlined four major phases in the development of China's neighborhood diplomacy.
Following the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Beijing's foreign policy centered on safeguarding national sovereignty and ensuring the survival of the new state after decades of war and foreign occupation. During this period, China emphasized national independence while maintaining close relations with the Soviet Union.
China later expanded its international engagement by promoting the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence with India and participating in the 1955 Bandung Conference, which strengthened cooperation among newly independent Asian and African nations.
A significant policy shift came under Deng Xiaoping, who redirected China's focus toward economic modernization and regional stability. Deng advanced the principle of "shelving disputes and pursuing joint development," arguing that peaceful relations with neighboring countries were essential for economic growth. His administration also separated party-to-party relations from state-to-state diplomacy, helping normalize relations with the Soviet Union, India, and ASEAN member states.
Under Jiang Zemin, China expanded regional engagement through border agreements, multilateral cooperation, and economic integration. Beijing signed border treaties with Russia, helped establish the Shanghai Five, which later evolved into the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and increased participation in ASEAN-led regional mechanisms. China also supported regional financial cooperation following the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
The lecture said neighborhood diplomacy has assumed greater strategic importance under President Xi Jinping, guided by the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness. These principles emphasize friendly relations with neighboring countries, mutual trust, shared development, and inclusive regional cooperation.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched in 2013, was highlighted as a key platform for improving regional connectivity. The speaker cited major infrastructure projects, including the China-Laos Railway, as examples of efforts to strengthen trade, improve logistics, and deepen regional economic integration.
The presentation also examined China's concept of common security, introduced through the Global Security Initiative (GSI) in 2022. The framework advocates resolving security challenges through dialogue, mutual respect, and regional cooperation rather than military alliances.
According to the speaker, China's contemporary diplomatic framework is built on four major initiatives: the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), and the Global Governance Initiative, which together seek to promote sustainable development, collective security, cultural exchange, and a more inclusive international governance system.
The lecture concluded that China's neighborhood diplomacy has increasingly prioritized regional stability, infrastructure connectivity, economic cooperation, and multilateral engagement as the foundation for long-term development and peaceful coexistence.