Duong Van Huy Photo: Courtesy of Duong Van Huy

Editor's Note:
"At present, China's relations with its neighboring countries?are?at their?best in modern?times, and are?also entering?a critical phase?of deep linkage between the regional landscape?and the world changes" - the recent Central Conference on Work Related to Neighboring Countries held in Beijing made such a profound judgment. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia from April 14 to 18, highlighting the guiding role of head-of-state diplomacy in neighborhood relations. In the first volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, President Xi emphasized that China's basic policy of diplomacy with neighboring countries is characterized by "amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness."

In the third installment of the "Decoding the Book of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" series, the Global Times continues to invite Chinese and international scholars, translators of the work, practitioners of its concepts, and overseas readers to share their insights, understandings and reflections on the ideas of China's neighborhood diplomacy, which emphasizes amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, China's advocacy for building a community with a shared future with neighboring countries as well as its vision of creating a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home.

For the third installment of the "Readers' Reflections" column, we invite Duong Van Huy, director of the Center for Vietnam-China Relations Studies, the Institute for Asian and Asia-Pacific Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, to share his insights from reading the book and his perspective on the common vision of China and neighboring countries to build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home.


China's neighborhood diplomacy policy is a notable issue today, especially when considering its current relations with neighboring countries in Southeast Asia. Under the leadership of President Xi, this strategy has been deepened and enriched. 

In my opinion, President Xi's visit to three Southeast Asian countries, starting with Vietnam, reflects China's emphasis on its relations with neighboring countries, particularly in the Southeast Asian region. Compared to other powers, China has a clearer neighborhood diplomacy policy and has taken specific actions to promote it. This recent neighborhood diplomacy strategy has played a significant role in promoting Beijing's relations with neighboring countries. Southeast Asian countries, in particular, can see the positive results of China's current neighborhood diplomacy.

Four years ago, at the Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations in Beijing, President Xi, via video link, proposed the joint construction of a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home, drawing a new blueprint for China-ASEAN cooperation and outlining the direction for progress. This speech, entitled "Deliver a Great Future for China-ASEAN Relations," is included in the fourth volume of his book Xi Jinping: The Governance of China. The recent Central Conference on Work Related to Neighboring Countries also emphasized that "To jointly create a better future with neighboring countries, China will hold high the banner of a community with a shared future for mankind, act on?the common vision of a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home."

In today's uncertain and increasingly divided world, the promotion of building a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home by China and its neighboring countries, including ASEAN states, aligns with the aspirations of the people on all sides. It also fosters development cooperation and helps maintain regional peace and stability. Furthermore, Vietnam, as an active ASEAN member, has made significant efforts to promote ASEAN-China cooperation. At the same time, Vietnam's development concept emphasizes peace, stability, cooperation, prosperity and sustainability, which aligns with several aspects of the China-ASEAN "home" vision. This common ground makes it easier for China, ASEAN and the bloc's member countries, notably Vietnam, to achieve common understanding on the region's future cooperation and development.

China is currently actively promoting the building of a community with a shared future with neighboring countries. Chinese leaders have made several high-level visits to this region, underscoring its significance in China's neighborhood diplomatic strategies. Promoting neighborhood diplomacy is regarded as an important way of fostering a community with a shared future between China and the region. China and its neighboring countries, particularly Vietnam, are continually strengthening political trust and deepening economic connections, while people-to-people contacts are actively encouraged. I believe that China and other countries in the region are consistently advancing more comprehensive and sustainable development cooperation, with China being the country that most actively supports the concept of "win-win" cooperation with other countries in the region. In today's uncertain international and regional context, this is most likely the path pursued by China and other countries in the region.