China's Diplomacy as Host: From G20 to APEC Summit in Shenzhen

As the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen prepares to host the 33rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November, China is once again extending a welcoming hand to leaders from around the world.

Over the years, China has hosted a series of major diplomatic meetings that have brought world leaders together. More than just platforms for dialogue, these occasions have demonstrated China’s vision for global cooperation and offered a glimpse into President Xi Jinping’s approach to diplomacy.

For Xi, hosting world leaders begins with hospitality.

In May 2023, on his 70th birthday, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in the ancient Silk Road city of Xi’an for a state visit to China and to attend the inaugural China-Central Asia Summit. During their talks, Xi extended birthday greetings to his guest.

“On this special occasion, your visit demonstrates the strength of our bilateral relations and reaffirms your unique bond with China,” Xi said with a smile.

“Thank you,” Tokayev replied in Mandarin, which he speaks fluently.

There is an ancient Chinese saying: “Is it not a joy when friends come from afar?”

Whether welcoming old friends or first-time visitors, Xi’s attentiveness has become a hallmark of China’s host diplomacy, helping to foster mutual trust and friendship.

Amid a world currently facing escalating conflicts, as well as rising hegemonism, protectionism and other global challenges, Xi has used a series of major diplomatic events hosted by China to deliver his key proposals.

But these meetings have been about more than just hospitality.

In times of global uncertainty, they have also served as venues where China has called for dialogue, openness and cooperation while presenting its proposals for addressing shared challenges.

In 2016, China hosted the Group of 20 (G20) Summit for the first time. Led by Xi, the summit marked a milestone in global economic governance.

At that summit, development was placed as a top priority on the global macro policy agenda for the first time. The summit, which brought together the largest number of developing countries in its history, also saw the adoption of an action plan to advance the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as the first collective commitment to support industrialisation in Africa and least developed countries.

These initiatives, together with the summit’s outcome documents, reflected China’s commitment to shared development and common prosperity.

The Global Security Initiative was launched at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in 2022, followed by the Global Civilisation Initiative at the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting in 2023, the Global Governance Initiative at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin last year, and a renewed call to implement the Global Development Initiative at the conference marking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in 2024.

These proposals have been backed by concrete actions. Behind every summit lies an intensive diplomatic schedule led personally by Xi.

On 2 September 2018, ahead of the opening of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing, Xi held 11 bilateral meetings with African leaders, with each meeting running precisely on schedule.

At the 2016 G20 Hangzhou Summit, Xi attended 13 meetings and a range of events within roughly 80 hours. On that occasion, the president delivered 11 speeches and met with 27 foreign leaders. At the 2018 SCO Qingdao Summit, he took part in more than 20 official events over two days.

Such packed schedules not only highlight the intensity of China’s diplomatic engagement, but also Xi’s personal commitment to advancing international dialogue and cooperation.

China has not only sought to put forward ideas, but also to turn them into tangible action.

Since the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was launched in 2013, the initiative has generated nearly 1 trillion US dollars in global investment and created at least 500,000 jobs in partner countries. In Africa and many other parts of the world, the rapidly expanding BRI cooperation is widely regarded as a path to prosperity.

Following the successful implementation of the Ten Cooperation Plans, the Eight Major Initiatives and the Nine Programs, Xi announced a new positioning in China-Africa relations as well as 10 partnership actions at the 2024 FOCAC Summit in Beijing, opening a new chapter in the joint pursuit of modernisation.

As China welcomes the world to Shenzhen, the country is also renewing its commitment to working with nations around the globe to build broader consensus on peace and development, strengthen openness and cooperation, and open a new chapter in building a community with a shared future for mankind.