Today marks the second anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s important speech on strengthening international communication. On May 31, 2021, President Xi pointed out in a speech that telling China’s stories well and presenting a true, multidimensional and panoramic view of China is a key task in building up China’s international communication capacity; the speech provided fundamental guidance for China’s international communication.

China’s diplomacy shoulders the responsibility of promoting friendly exchanges between China and foreign countries, and it’s a mission for Chinese diplomats to tell China’s stories well. President Xi has taken the lead in telling China’s stories to foreign leaders, and he has won wide acclaim from the international community. 

Under the leadership of President Xi, we have been actively promoting Chinese culture abroad, presenting to the world vivid practices in the advancement of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization, providing the public with accurate information and refuting slanders. Thanks to these efforts, China’s discourse power and influence have significantly increased, and the international community better understands and supports the path and model of China’s development.

However, to maintain their hegemony and reverse the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, certain countries make use of their discourse advantages to create a false narrative of “democracy versus authoritarianism”, and vilify China on issues related to Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Tibet autonomous region to hype Sinophobia around the world. 

We must bear in mind President Xi’s important speech, delivered two years ago, and give more prominence to international communication, and further improve the “volume” and “quality” of the China stories we tell to make the world hear China’s voice.

We should tell stories of the Communist Party of China (CPC) well and help the international community establish a correct view of the CPC. 

The Communist Party of China is dedicated to the long-term cause of the Chinese nation. It is in its prime following the celebrations of its centenary. The international community pays greater attention to the CPC. More foreigners admire the achievements made by the CPC, and more countries wish to know how the CPC achieved such great success. 

During their visits to China, a lot of foreign leaders, including Argentine President Alberto Fernandez and Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith, visited the History Exhibition Hall of the CPC. As President Xi pointed out, to understand today’s China, you must understand the CPC. 

We should act on the guiding principles of President Xi’s speech on international communication, take it as our duty to tell China’s stories well, create a favorable external public opinion environment for the country’s reform, development and stability, and make positive contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind

We should actively promote Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, share the theories of the CPC’s way of governing the country, and help people of all countries understand that the CPC is a party that strives for the happiness of the Chinese people, and help them understand why the CPC is capable, why Marxism is good, and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is successful.

We should tell stories of China’s propositions, wisdom and plans well and help the international community know better China’s “view of the world”.

At present, changes of the world, of our times, and of the historical trajectory are taking place in ways like never before. With global and domestic developments in mind, President Xi put forward a series of major diplomatic proposals, such as building a community with a shared future for mankind, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Belt and Road Initiative. They all fully demonstrate a great sense of responsibility of President Xi, the CPC and China, and embody the Chinese values of harmony, win-win cooperation and peaceful coexistence among all countries in the world. It is in sharp contrast to the hegemony, power politics and zero-sum thinking advocated by certain countries. 

The international community should be more aware that China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace and a win-win strategy of opening-up, and that China will continue to provide new opportunities for the world with China’s new development, actively participate in the improvement of the global governance system, and practice the global governance philosophy of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.

We should tell stories of the successful practice of “one country, two systems” in Hong Kong well and help the international community establish a fair “view of Hong Kong”.

“One country, two systems” is an unprecedented innovation under socialism with Chinese characteristics and it has achieved world-recognized success. However, after Hong Kong’s version of a “color revolution” failed, some foreign forces have intensified their efforts to defame “one country, two systems”, smear the rule of law in Hong Kong and slander Hong Kong’s development prospects. 

China’s diplomacy firmly protects national sovereignty, security and development interests, and Hong Kong-related diplomacy will continue to provide safeguards for the sustained success of “one country, two systems”. We should show the successful practice of “one country, two systems” in Hong Kong to the world, so that the international community can better understand the true Hong Kong, the strong vitality of “one country, two systems”, and the trend of good governance and greater prosperity in Hong Kong. 

I believe that in the historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization, Hong Kong will still be a hot spot of opportunities and wealth, and will create more opportunities for the world.

On the new journey toward fully building China into a modern socialist country, telling China’s stories well is an arduous but glorious mission. We should act on the guiding principles of President Xi’s speech on international communication, take it as our duty to tell China’s stories well, create a favorable external public opinion environment for the country’s reform, development and stability, and make positive contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

The author is commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.