China's Independent Foreign Policy of Peace Relations with Major Power
  Relations with Neighboring Countries Active Participation in Multilateral Diplomacy
  China's Military Diplomacy in 2004  


Relations with Major Powers


  China's relations with other big powers further deepened in 2004.

Sino-U.S. Relations

Sino-U.S. relations made more headway in 2004. Despite the two countries' disputes over problems such as the exchange rate of renminbi, U.S. trade deficit with China and the Iraqi issue, China and the United States share common interests in other areas like the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and anti-terrorism cooperation.

The year 2004 saw remarkable high-level contact between the two countries. From April to October, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, President Pro Tempore of the Senate Ted Stevens and Secretary of State Collin Powell visited China one after another.

A sound development of bilateral relations based on common interests is a prominent feature of Sino-U.S. relations in 2004. This is well illustrated by President Hu Jintao's remarks at a meeting with U.S. National Security Adviser Rice in July. He said that the international situation has undergone profound changes since the beginning of the new century, but the importance of Sino-U.S. relations is growing instead of shrinking and the common interests the two countries share are increasing instead of reducing. As a large developing country, China is playing an ever-greater role in international affairs. The United States needs to cooperate with China in the fields of resolution of the Korean nuclear issue, prevention of the proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, antiterrorism, Iraq reconstruction and preservation of international financial stability.

Taiwan issue remains the biggest obstacle to the sound development of Sino-U.S. relations. Chinese leaders have reaffirmed to the U.S. side that it is in the core interest of China to safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Having understood the sensitivity of the Taiwan issue due to China's assertive stance, the U.S. side has reiterated many times that the United States sticks to the one-China policy, abides by the three Sino-U.S. joint communiqués and does not support any unilateral action to change the status quo of Taiwan or declare "Taiwan independence." U.S. Secretary of State Powell explained Washington's firm policy on Taiwan during his visit to China in October. There is one China, he said, and Taiwan is not independent and does not enjoy "sovereignty as a nation." These remarks are a forceful warning to the "Taiwan independence" forces.

Sino-Russian Relations

Sino-Russian strategic cooperative relationship made substantial progress in 2004.

Premier Wen Jiabao and President Vladimir Putin exchanged visits in 2004. President Putin also met with President Hu Jintao during the APEC summit in Chile.

During President Putin's visit in October, China and Russia signed the Complementary Agreement on the Eastern Section of the China-Russia Boundary, marking the completion of demarcation of the over 4,300-km-long China-Russia border line. The two sides also approved the Outline on Implementing the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation Between the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation (2005-08), which set new plans and goals for bilateral relations.

Sino-Russian trade volume reached US$21.2 billion in 2004, up 35 percent over the previous year. At present, Russia is China's eighth largest trading partner, while China ranks Russia's fourth largest trading partner. The two countries recognize each other's market economy status. China supports Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization at the earliest opportunity.

Bilateral exchanges in the cultural field are also strengthening. The two sides have reached consensus on setting the year 2006 as the "Russian Year" in China and 2007 the "Chinese Year" in Russia.

China and Russia support each other in antiterrorism. Both are opposed to "double standard." Immediately after the Beslan school hostage-taking incident in September, Chinese leaders conveyed condolence to the Russian Government and people and sent humanitarian aids.

Sino-EU Relations

The comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the EU further developed in 2004. The Seventh China-EU Summit was held in the Hague, the Netherlands. The enlarged EU has ascended to China's largest trading partner.

The year 2004 is said to be the "Year of Europe" in China's diplomacy. The two sides have found wider common ground for cooperation in building a multipolar world, antiterrorism, security and environmental protection after a close review of bilateral relations. President Hu Jintao visited France at the beginning of 2004. When the EU had just completed its third enlargement in the middle of the year, Premier Wen Jiabao toured four European countries. Later, French President Jacques Chirac launched a grand "Year of France" in China. Chinese and European leaders met again in Viet Nam in November. As the year drew to a close, Italian President Carlo Ciampi and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder came to China almost simultaneously. While they were in China, Premier Wen Jiabao headed for Europe for a second time. With frequent high-level visits, closer China-EU ties have been forged rapidly. China has established strategic partnership relations with the EU, Germany, France and Britain, respectively.

The comprehensive cooperation between China and the EU is based on a sound political foundation. Since both sides respect each other's civilization, they can conduct equal dialogues in the event of conflicts. China and the EU share the same or similar views on important current international issues, as exemplified by the fact that they both stand for the promotion of democracy in international relations and a multipolar world and against unilateralism and power politics. In terms of antiterrorism, both sides believe that UN's authoritative role should be brought into play, stressing that both the symptoms and the root causes of terrorism should be duly addressed and the excessive use of force should be avoided. China and the EU can give due consideration to each other's interests, thereby achieving a win-win result in their economic cooperation.

China-EU cooperation made great strides forward in 2004. China has officially joined the EU in its Galileo global satellite navigation system. The EU readily transferred technology to China, as illustrated by their fruitful cooperation in aviation, automobile industry, energy and other sectors. Bilateral cooperation in the UN and other international organizations has also gained ground. The cultural exchanges between China and European countries are heating up as well. China and the EU, both seeking to carry forward the time-honored civilizations of Asia and Europe through comparison and emulation, provide a good example of different civilizations living in peace in the modern world.

Sino-Japanese Relations

Japan is the only country among the major powers that had hot economic ties amid cold political links with China in 2004. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's successive visits in recent years to the Yasukuni Shrine, where Class A war criminals of World War II are worshipped, have seriously hurt the feelings of the Chinese people, making it impossible for leaders of the two countries to exchange visits. In November, President Hu Jintao met with Prime Minister Koizumi on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Chile, the first high-level contact between China and Japan in three years. President Hu made it plain to Prime Minister Koizumi that the crux of the difficulties in Sino-Japanese political relations lies in Japanese leaders' paying homage to the Yasukuni Shrine. He expressed the hope that the Japanese side would handle relevant problems properly from a strategic and long-term perspective so as to accelerate the sound and steady development of Sino-Japanese relations. This clear stand will help the relations between the two countries to overcome the current predicament.

Despite the tightening economic links between China and Japan, new troubles hindering bilateral relations kept emerging on issues such as Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, disputes over oil and gas exploration in the East China Sea and Japan's green light to pro-independence former Taiwan leader Lee Teng-hui's visit.