China starts a new diplomatic journey in 2023, and multinational leaders plan to visit China

[Global Times comprehensive report] The top diplomats of China and the United States "took extra classes" on the first day of the New Year. On the 1st local time, Foreign Minister Ambassador Qin Gang held a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Brinken in the United States. Qin Gang said goodbye to Antony Blinken, recalled that he had several candid, in-depth and constructive meetings with him as ambassador to the United States, and looked forward to continuing to maintain close working relations and promoting the improvement and development of China US relations. At the beginning of 2023, China will welcome leaders from the Philippines and other countries to visit. Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office, wrote an article in Seeking Truth magazine on the 1st to review the main line of the diplomacy of the heads of state in 2022, and to make prospects for China Russia, China US and China EU relations. Wang Yi pointed out that China's diplomatic front will promote the construction of a pattern of major country relations featuring peaceful coexistence, overall stability and balanced development. He said that China Russia relations are built on the basis of non alignment, non confrontation and non targeting of third parties, and are not subject to interference and provocation from third parties; China will implement the consensus reached by the Chinese and US dollar leaders, discuss the establishment of guiding principles for China US relations and correct the course; We will strengthen high-level exchanges and strategic communication between China and the EU, and promote stability and long-term development of China EU relations.
Qin Gang Antony Blinken Calls "Goodbye"
Qin Gang and Antony Blinken tweeted respectively on the 1st, confirming that they had talked. Antony Blinken said on social media, "This morning, when China's new foreign minister, Qin Gang, was about to leave Washington for his new post, I spoke with him. We discussed the relationship between the United States and China and the issue of maintaining open communication channels.". Qin Gang then sent an article on social media to confirm his "farewell" call with Antony Blinken. Qin Gang said, "Thank you for having many frank, in-depth and constructive meetings with him during my (ambassador to the United States) term of office, and look forward to maintaining a close working relationship with him for better Sino US relations.".
Bloomberg said that Qin Gang sought to improve Sino US relations in his call with Antony Blinken. When the Chinese Foreign Minister changed his post, Beijing showed signs of returning to a low-key diplomatic strategy. This greeting also shows that Antony Blinken may visit Beijing soon. According to the information previously released by the US State Department, Antony Blinken plans to visit China in January or February 2023 to follow up and implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state at the Bali meeting. If the trip goes smoothly, Antony Blinken will be the highest level American official who will visit China after two years of Biden administration.
On December 30, 2022, the 38th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress decided to remove Wang Yi from the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs and appoint Qin Gang as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Wang Yi was appointed Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office. "As a result, China's new diplomatic team has basically been finalized", the Singapore Lianhe Zaobao reported on the 2nd that China's new diplomatic team, with Wang Yi and Qin Gang as the backbone, will be a situation of "taking the old to lead the new". It is reported that Qin Gang, while sticking to his basic position, has also tried his best to show his soft figure and interact with people from all walks of life and states in the United States during his more than 500 days as ambassador to the United States, and his performance has been praised by the Chinese senior management. The Lianhe Zaobao also quoted experts as saying that the latest personnel transfer of Chinese diplomats shows that China still regards diplomatic work with the United States as a strategic priority, and there will be more room for adjustment and development of China US relations in 2023.
At the beginning of the new year, China will welcome the visits of multinational leaders.   Marcos' visit to China has set three records - he is the first foreign head of state to be received by China in 2023. This visit is Marcos' first visit to China during his tenure and also the first official visit to countries outside ASEAN, which fully reflects the great importance that China and the Philippines attach to bilateral relations. In addition, Brazil's new President Lula plans to visit China in early 2023. Brazilian Foreign Minister Vieira announced last December that Lula plans to visit Argentina, China and the United States within three months after taking office on January 1. French President Marco Long has repeatedly expressed his willingness to visit China. The Elysee Palace said earlier that if the epidemic situation allows, Marco Long will visit China at the beginning of 2023. If it does, it will be Makron's first visit to China since November 2019. In an interview with the European Times on January 1, Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye expressed his warm welcome to President Makron for his timely visit to China in 2023.  
"One, two, three" diplomacy of the head of state in 2022
One main venue, two major initiatives and three major visits connect the main lines of the diplomacy of the head of state in 2022. According to the news on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 1st day, Wang Yi wrote in the 2023 first issue of Seeking Truth magazine, "Committed to National Rejuvenation, Striving for a New Journey of Major Country Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics with Human Destiny", that in February last year, the Winter Olympics diplomacy opened brilliantly. 31 heads of state, government and heads of international organizations came to China to participate in the grand event, bringing confidence and hope to the world beset by the epidemic. The theme of the Olympic Games, "Towards the Future Together", resounded throughout the world and also opened the annual curtain for China's diplomacy.     The two major initiatives directly face the two major issues of peace and development, and provide a Chinese remedy to address both the symptoms and root causes of global governance deficits.   It has achieved a new start for the new Central Leading Group in its external work.
Cuba's Latin America News Agency reported that in 2022, China achieved the restart of face-to-face contacts between leaders in the diplomatic field. These visits are conducive to strengthening strategic relations with relevant countries and regions, and putting forward China's proposals in addressing global and regional challenges. During these trips, the face-to-face meetings held by the heads of state of China and the United States became the focus of attention of all parties. While firmly safeguarding its own interests, sovereignty and security, Beijing adheres to solving problems through negotiation and mutually beneficial cooperation. According to the report, China also adheres to the policy of opening to the outside world and strengthens exchanges with countries and regions in Europe, Russia, Africa, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, etc. China has made contact with the high-level officials in these regions, put forward plans for development and cooperation, and stressed the importance of jointly safeguarding multilateralism and free trade.
Looking forward to the diplomatic direction in 2023
In an article in Seeking Truth magazine, Wang Yi said that 2023 is the first year to comprehensively implement the spirit of the Twentieth National Congress of the Communist Party of China. We should make every effort to serve and safeguard the diplomacy and central work of the heads of state, actively expand the global partnership of equality, openness and cooperation, constantly promote the construction of an open world economy, resolutely safeguard national interests and national dignity, and actively participate in the reform and construction of the global governance system, Strive to improve international communication and voice.
Foreign media have made prospects for China Russia, China US and China EU relations in the new year. On the 1st, the Russian Viewpoint quoted Maslow, director of the Asia Africa Research Institute of Moscow State University, as saying that, looking forward to 2023, Russia and China will make progress in addressing common threats, and the two countries will strengthen cooperation in the military and scientific fields. Bloomberg said that the great rivalry between China and the United States may become the most important theme in the world in the coming decades, and the European position may become the key factor affecting the competition between China and the United States in 2023. According to the US Foreign Policy magazine, in the eyes of some US policymakers, the "decoupling" between the EU and China is too slow and inconsistent with the US. In the new year, with the Republican Party holding the majority of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, the European Union may face new pressure from the United States Congress on the issue of China.
Li Haidong, a professor of the Institute of International Relations of the Foreign Affairs College, told the Global Times on the 2nd that China's diplomacy will face both opportunities and challenges in the diplomatic environment in 2023. This year, China needs great wisdom and judgment on how to truly achieve balance, effectiveness and sustainability in its diplomatic dealings with major countries. In terms of China Russia relations, it is necessary to ensure that China and Russia follow the direction of partnership and non alignment, and ensure that China US relations do not break the situation and improve in an overall stable environment, both of which are very challenging topics. In addition, the security order in Europe and the Asia Pacific region is facing a profound transition. In the context of the global competition and confrontation between the United States and China, it is also a very important challenge for China to ensure that neighboring countries and regions form a certain degree of centricity towards China in the process of restructuring the regional order, especially in the Asia Pacific region, and prevent them from becoming victims of the geopolitical struggle of individual countries. Li Haidong also said that China has more diplomatic resources than ever before, has accumulated considerable political wisdom, and is constantly improving its ability to handle complex situations, which makes us confident in overcoming the diplomatic challenges of the new year.