President Hu Jintao told Chinese diplomats safeguarding sovereignty and national security is their top priority.

 

Hu made the comment during a conference in Beijing focused on China's diplomatic work. The five day gathering, which ended Sunday, was the first time since 1998 that Chinese envoys had reviewed recent achievements and set out policy goals.

 

The president also called on Chinese diplomats to better serve the country's goal to build a relatively affluent society.

 

Hu stressed that China will stick to the independent foreign policy of peace and peaceful development, while promoting peace, development and co-operation to better serve the country's strategic goal of building a relatively affluent society and contribute to world peace and common development.

 

He said the fundamental task and basic goal of China's diplomatic work is to strive for a peaceful and stable international environment, a neighbourly and friendly surrounding environment, an environment for equal and mutually beneficial co-operation, and an objective and friendly publicity environment.

Hu reviewed China's diplomatic work since the last envoys meeting held in 1998 and analyzed the current international situation, saying the country will continue to implement and develop the guiding principles formulated during reform and opening up over more than 20 years.

 

Peace and development remain the theme of the current times, he said. Multi-polarization and economic globalization have been advancing despite twists and turns and science and technology have been developing at an amazing speed, which brings about some new changes and features in international situation and international relations "that deserve our high attention," Hu said.

 

He stressed the fundamental interests of the country and people. "We must always give top priority to safeguarding the our national sovereignty and security."

 

China will stick to the independent foreign policy of peace and handle state-to-state relations in line with the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence while seeking common interests of all parties and carrying out friendly co-operation with all countries on an equal footing and for mutual benefit.

 

China will adhere to safeguarding world peace and promote common development, and, at the same time, work to promote democracy in international relations and diversification of development modes, protecting cultural diversity, popularizing a new security concept, and establishing a just and rational new international political and economic order, said Hu.

 

To this end, China will promote the steady growth of relations with major countries, stick to the principles of building friendship and partnerships as well as security and prosperity with neighbours while combining bilateral friendship with regional co-operation.

 

China will also strengthen unity and co-operation with developing countries and support their just and rational appeals in international affairs, play a constructive role in multilateral arenas in such fields as politics, economy, society, disarmament and arms control, safeguard the tenet and principles of the United Nations Charter and the recognized basic norms guiding international relations, and support every consensus that represents the law of human development and conforms with the common interests of all countries.

 

Hu also called for efforts to strengthen diplomatic work in the economic and cultural fields, to protect China's rights and interests overseas, and to build a contingent of diplomatic professionals.

 

Other top leaders including Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Huang Ju, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan also attended the meeting along with representatives of Chinese diplomatic envoys.

 

Premier Wen Jiabao also spoke at the meeting and stressed diplomatic work should serve the country's major strategies for economic development.

Efforts should be redoubled to strengthen co-operation and exchanges with other countries in the fields of science, technology and culture, Wen said.

 

source from: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-08/31/content_370199.htm