In 2004, China presented to the world a mature and pragmatic diplomatic image and made eye-catching progress in actively creating a favourable environment of peace and mutually beneficial cooperation.

Such pragmatism is reflected by China's positive integration into the global context and omni-directional foreign policy.

China is clearly aware that cooperation is the key to finding common ground to achieve a multi-win result in an increasingly interdependent world.

Last year, China continued to adhere to a friendly and neighbourly foreign policy and upgraded its reciprocal cooperation with a large number of Asian neighbours.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China held their eighth summit in November, which was a substantial step towards creating the biggest free trade area (FTA) in the world. Among the piles of signed agreements covering aid and partnership programmes, the most prominent was the China-ASEAN Plan of Action to Implement the Joint Declaration on the Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity. This has taken the China-ASEAN relationship to a new level and contributed to improving the competitiveness of the region as a whole.

China has actively participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and promoted all-round cooperation among its members. The SCO Beijing Secretariat and the Tashkent regional anti-terrorism centre were set up respectively in January and June 2004. The establishment of these institutions will undoubtedly help enhance cooperation between China and other Central Asian nations, and the broadening of their collaboration will make further positive contributions to regional peace and prosperity.

Last year also saw China playing a positive and vital role in pushing progress in the six-party talks on the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula. Two fresh rounds of talks were held in 2004, aimed at breaking the nuclear stalemate.

As host of the six-party talks, China has remained in close contact with the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and other related parties, and carried out several constructive rounds of diplomatic mediation.

China's omni-directional diplomacy is another reflection of its pragmatism, working to strengthen the steady development of bilateral ties with major countries; maintain good and cooperative relations with neighbours; enhance cooperation with developing countries; and play a constructive role in multilateral affairs.

Attaching great importance to cooperation with the European Union (EU), China has demonstrated its determination to deepen its comprehensive and strategic partnership with the EU. During Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to the EU in May 2004, China signed 15 bilateral agreements and memorandums with five nations, 56 trade contracts, 27 contracts on joint ventures and a batch of agreements on cooperative intentions, worth billions of euros.

Their cooperation did not end on the economic front. Both sides also worked together in the field of security. At the seventh China-EU summit in early December, a joint declaration on international non-proliferation and arms control was signed, and both sides vowed to deepen their cooperation on disarmament and non-proliferation and promote close policy dialogue at various levels.

As a framework for the China-EU strategic partnership, the declaration lays out significant roles for both sides in maintaining international and regional peace and security.

Sino-US relations remained stable and China's cooperative partnerships with other influential powers were likewise strengthened in 2004.

China had frequent important exchanges with the United States last year. High-level military exchanges were restored in early 2004. During US Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit in October, he reiterated US support for the one-China policy and clearly stated US opposition to any move that might lead to "Taiwan independence."

China also further strengthened its strategic partnership with Russia. President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing in October 2004 and signed a joint communique and a series of important cooperative documents with his Chinese counterpart. The most important is the successful demarcation of the 4,300-kilometre-long common border and a supplementary land demarcation agreement on the eastern border of the two countries, which demonstrated both countries' determination to ensure the stability of bilateral relations.

As an important part of its multi-directional diplomacy, China dispatched high-level missions to all parts of the world in 2004.

The interaction with African, Middle Eastern and other developing nations, in particular President Hu Jintao's trip to South America late last year, has contributed to consolidating China's presence on the international stage.

China also made full use of multilateral occasions to establish benign relationships with foreign countries, in order to create a more secure and flexible external environment.

The fundamental mission for China's diplomacy set by the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is to maintain a peaceful, stable and friendly environment to aid its development goal for the first two decades of this century, which is to build a moderately prosperous society from every angle.

Therefore, China will continue to promote its independent foreign policy of peace and pragmatic diplomacy in line with the fundamental interests of the nation.

(China Daily January 1, 2005)