[Global Focus] Xi's 'Storm Diplomacy' to 19 Countries Leads to Consecutive Trips to China... South Korea and the US Remain Stationary

First Global Stage Diplomacy After Confirmed Third Term
G20 and APEC Summits from 14th to 19th
Official Meetings with 19 Countries
French President Macron to Visit Early Next Year
Philippines and Cuba Also Confirm China Visit Schedules

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyunjung] The recent external activities of Chinese President Xi Jinping can be summarized as a 'storm diplomacy.' After securing his third term, he expanded his diplomatic footprint on the global stage by lining up for bilateral talks. This successfully broke the ice for dialogue, reversing the atmosphere of considerable criticism from the West due to his ambiguous stance following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

From the G20 Summit held in Bali, Indonesia on the 15th-16th to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Bangkok, Thailand on the 17th-18th, President Xi officially met with leaders of 19 countries and the UN Secretary-General. Including unofficial meetings and those not exposed to the media, it is estimated that he met with leaders from dozens of countries. At each occasion, he advocated for Chinese-style modernization while emphasizing Asia-Pacific regional cooperation and multilateralism to counter hegemony, sending a check to the United States.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆France and the Philippines... A Series of Visits to China= The international conference schedule over the past five days served as a signal for the normalization of face-to-face diplomacy with China and an opportunity to shift the isolated atmosphere following the Ukraine war. Since the spread of COVID-19, Xi had been extremely reluctant to travel abroad and rarely met foreign dignitaries visiting Beijing except during the Beijing Winter Olympics in February. His September Central Asia tour ahead of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to confirm his third term was his first foreign trip in 32 months, but it was a localized stage limited to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit composed of friendly countries including Russia. For Xi as the Chinese president after his third term, the G20 and APEC summits were a golden opportunity to reveal his diplomatic vision for the third term and confirm China's position in international politics.

As President Xi set aside concerns about COVID-19 and resumed face-to-face diplomacy, countries have been busy scheduling visits to China. Notably, the change in attitude of European societies, which had raised critical voices against China, is worth attention.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who held talks with Xi on the 15th, is scheduled to visit China early next year. Following the announcement that the two leaders would coordinate the visit during their meeting, French Ambassador Laurent Bili confirmed this in an interview with China's state-run Global Times on the 20th. He mentioned, "President Macron intends to visit China early next year," and when asked by a Global Times reporter whether Macron's visit following German Chancellor Olaf Scholz would benefit Europe and China's development, he replied, "Europe and China can engage in dialogue and cooperation based on their shared interest in Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Another major achievement is the concretization of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos's visit to China on January 3 next year. The Philippines, which had long pursued pragmatic diplomacy balancing between the US and China, seemed to tilt its diplomatic focus toward the US after the inauguration of the new President Marcos. On September 22, Marcos reaffirmed the alliance through a summit with US President Joe Biden in New York. However, through the visit to China, President Marcos is expected to seek solutions to conflict factors including the South China Sea issue.

Additionally, Cuban President Miguel D?az-Canel is scheduled to visit China on the 24th of this month, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, after the APEC meeting in Bangkok on the 17th, revealed that President Xi invited Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and said he would coordinate the related schedule.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆Tensions with the US Remain... Xi Emphasizes Regional Cohesion= However, China showed no significant change in its approach to relations with the United States. During the three-hour meeting with President Biden, Xi emphasized, "The current China-US relationship does not meet the interests of both countries or the expectations of the international community," and stressed, "We must find the right path to get along well." Subsequently, discussions on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China and the resumption of bilateral trade negotiations suggested an atmosphere of improving relations, but no concrete achievements or practical changes have yet emerged.

Especially at the APEC summit held immediately after the G20 summit, Xi consistently called for Asia-Pacific regional unity and joint responses, advocating multilateralism. In his written speech at the APEC meeting on the 17th, he stated, "Any attempt to trigger a new Cold War will never be tolerated by the people and the times," emphasizing, "The Asia-Pacific region is no one's backyard and must not become a stage for power competition." The following day, US Vice President Kamala Harris responded in her APEC speech, saying, "The United States has contributed to the Indo-Pacific economy for decades and generations," and "There is no better partner than the United States in the Indo-Pacific region."

Regarding the Taiwan issue, the differences in perspectives between the two countries are even more pronounced. Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) quoted Dr. Malcolm Davis of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, diagnosing, "The core downgrade points in China-US relations remain unresolved, with the South China Sea and Taiwan issues among the key points." Liu Weidong, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, also told SCMP, "It is premature to expect a positive impact from the talks," explaining, "Until the two countries significantly improve their political and social relations, the possibility of improving military cooperation is very small or almost none."

Progress in South Korea-China relations is also hard to see. After a 25-minute meeting on the 15th in Bali, where both sides essentially read prepared opening remarks, there has been no significant follow-up progress. President Yoon requested Xi to visit South Korea at the meeting, but Xi reportedly indirectly declined, saying, "I hope President Yoon will visit China at a mutually convenient time."

The positions on the North Korean issue, which has escalated nuclear and missile threats through successive provocations, remain tense. During the meeting, President Yoon said, "As a permanent member of the Security Council and a neighboring country, we expect China to play a more active and constructive role," but China excluded this from its official Ministry of Foreign Affairs documents and did not even report on it.

President Xi only mentioned, "South Korea and China share common interests regarding the Korean Peninsula issue," and "We must safeguard peace and hope South Korea will actively improve inter-Korean relations." Regarding the 'bold initiative' proposed to North Korea, Xi added a condition, saying, "If North Korea responds positively, we will actively support and cooperate to ensure the bold initiative is well implemented."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.