China Daily:

General Secretary Xi Jinping noted that the Party's external work is an important front of the Party, an important component of the overall national diplomacy, and an important manifestation of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. How should we understand these three important aspects?

Shen Beili:

Thank you for your question. The three important aspects pointed out by General Secretary Xi Jinping are an organic whole, which has provided fundamental principles and guidance for the Party's external work in the new era.

"An important front of the Party" has defined the political nature of the Party's external work. The Party's external work originated from the Party and has thrived and grown stronger along with the Party. The Party's external exchanges carried out under the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee directly reflect the Party's will in diplomacy. The priorities of the Party's external work are always safeguarding the Party's governance security and the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and fully serving the central undertaking of the Party. "An important component of the overall national diplomacy" has defined the strategic functionality of the Party's external work. The Party's external work focuses on boosting state-to-state relations with party-to-party ties, promoting inter-state cooperation with inter-party consultation and cooperation, and firmly safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, thus making a unique contribution to the country's overall diplomacy. 

"An important embodiment of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics" clarifies the distinctive advantage of the external work of the CPC. Concerning the Party's external work, we adhere to practicing the Party's original aspiration and mission, exchange experiences in the governance of party and state with political parties around the world and work with them to advance human civilization and progress together. With the overall coordination of the external work, we continue to consolidate a three-pronged system consisting of inter-party diplomacy, public diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy, pooling the strength for building a human community with a shared future.

Standing at a new historic starting point, we will continue to thoroughly study and put into practice General Secretary Xi Jinping's major expositions on the Party's external work. We will carry out our work with a focus on the central task of the CPC to contribute to building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts and providing humanity with more and better Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions and greater Chinese strength to help solve its common challenges. Thank you.