Research On The Evolution Of The International Identity Of The Communist Party Of China's Diplomacy

The Communist Party of China (CPC) was born out of the combination ofMarxism-Leninism and social revolution in China. After its founding, the CPCconnected closely the cause of liberation of the Chinese people and progress ofmankind, worked hard to establish ties with communist parties and progressive forcesof other countries, and sought understanding, sympathy and support of theinternational society and friends over China’s revolution. During the time ofnew-democratic revolution, the CPC’s work of international united front expanded theglobal influence of China’s revolution and of the CPC, not only making positivecontribution to the independence and liberation of the Chinese nation, but alsocontributing a lot to the progress of the human society. After the founding of thePeople’s Republic of China, confronted with the hostility and encirclement ofimperialist forces and later the cold war brought about by rivalry between the UnitedStates and Soviet Union, the CPC put forward a series of important internationalstrategic ideas such as “Leaning to one side”,“One line” and “One group”, anddivision of the three world, successfully expanding the diplomatic scope for socialistChina and strengthening the strategic position of the Party. The CPC developedextensive friendship with communist parties, workers’ parties and other progressiveforces, which played an important role for opening up prospects for the diplomaticwork of New China, consolidating newly born people’s power, conducting socialistrevolution, and carrying out in a large scale socialist construction. However, theprocess was also full of difficulties, twists and even mistakes.After the Third Plenum of the11thCPC Central Committee, the Party sized upthe international situation, accurately understood the features of the times, and focused Party diplomacy around the central work of the Party and country, thusmaking important readjustment and innovation and expanding exchange and contactswith political parties of most countries in the world, which created favorable externalconditions for China’s modernization drive, reform and opening up. After the1990s,facing the volatile and complex international circumstances, the Party took theprotection of national interests as the starting point and goal when conductingdiplomatic work, making important contribution to breaking the “sanctions” of somewestern countries, and improving China’s external environment of reform, opening upand socialist modernization. In the new century, Party diplomacy has been centeringon the central tasks of the Party and country and continued exploration and innovation,through which the CPC has strengthened high-level exchange and strategiccommunication with political parties of other countries. Through preventivediplomacy, forward-looking research and basic work, new features and strength havebeen gained, and an all-dimensional, multi-channeled, wide-ranging and deep-goingdiplomatic layout has been formed and strengthened. The Party diplomacy plays itsfair part for the Party to seize and make the best use of the important period ofstrategic opportunities, to draw lessons from the rise and fall of foreign politicalparties, and to boost its international influence and image.It has been over90years since the founding of the CPC, coupled with which hasbeen over nine decades of growth of Party diplomacy. There have been achievementsscored and experience gained, but also mistakes and bitter lessons. Therefore, it isextremely important to review the evolution of the Identity of the CPC on thediplomatic front over the past90years. The author will segment the history of Partydiplomacy into three periods. First, the period from the founding of the CPC to thefounding of the People’s Republic of China, when the identity of the Party on the diplomatic front was defined as a part of the world proletarian revolution andrevolutionary of the international system. Second, the period from the founding of thePeople’s Republic of China to the time of the introduction of reform and opening up,when the identity of the Party on the diplomatic front was defined as socialistrevolutionary party and when the Party went through the evolution from a moderateruling party to a radical revolutionary party. Third, from the time of reform andopening up till now, when the CPC has found the right identity on the diplomatic front,and has changed from a revolutionary party outside the system to a status quo partywithin the system, thus realizing historic transformation and readjustment in itsidentity on the diplomatic front, and its identity as a socialist ruling party committedto peace and development has been established and recognized.On the basis of the review, the author tries to analyze the features of the identityof the CPC on the diplomatic front, pointing out that an independent foreign policy ofpeace is the main feature and theme around the change of the identity, in which themost salient feature is the change from being ideologically driven to transcendingideology. An overview of the journey of Party diplomacy over the past90yearsshows that the change of the CPC’s understanding of the world and of the interests ofthe country is an important reason behind the change of its identity on the diplomaticfront, which is also related to the change of its strength, different strategic goals of thecountry, change of ideas through interaction with other countries, and globalization.The author then focuses on the background, goals and concrete steps taken behind thechange of the CPC’s identity on the diplomatic front. It shows that the CPC has foundits right identity on the diplomatic front after reform and opening up, which led togreat achievements scored and valuable experience gained by the Party. In the future,the CPC will surely face new circumstances and challenges in its identity on the diplomatic front. It is fair to say that the identity of the CPC on the diplomatic front isa fluid instead of static process. It has been formed in the interaction between China,the CPC and the international community, keeps developing, and will becomeincreasingly mature in the process. With the growth of China’s economy, the CPCwill continue readjustment and keep pace with the times in identity itself on thediplomatic front while maintaining its sound tradition, the consistency and stability.