Speech by H.E. Wang Yi 

State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs

At the Opening of Symposium on 

The International Situation and China's Foreign Relations in 2018

国务委员兼外交部长 王毅

（2018年12月11日，北京）

各位专家、各位朋友：

　　很高兴又和大家相聚在一年一度的国际形势与中国外交研讨会。在各位专家学者的积极参与和大力支持下，研讨会开得越来越有成效，为我们开展外交工作贡献了很多有益的建议。在此，我要首先向大家表示衷心的感谢。

　　即将过去的2018年，国际形势最显著的特点，就是充满不确定性。世界力量对比加速演变,单边保护主义不断蔓延，现存国际体系受到严重冲击，大国之间竞争博弈日趋激烈，传统热点纷争挥之不去，气变、难民等非传统安全难题接踵而来。习近平总书记站在人类历史演进的高度，把握时代风云，作出了一个重要论断，那就是：“放眼世界，我们面对的是百年未有之大变局”。

Academic experts,

Friends,

It gives me great pleasure to join you again at this annual symposium on the international situation and China's foreign relations. Thanks to your active participation and strong support, the symposium has become increasingly effective in contributing many valuable suggestions to China's foreign policy, for which I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to you all.

The world in the outgoing 2018 has been marked by uncertainty, a defining feature of the international landscape. The shift in the balance of power accelerated, unilateralism and protectionism further developed, and the international system came under serious strain. Major-country competition intensified. Even as traditional hotspots remain unresolved, non-traditional security issues such as climate change and refugees cropped up. With his keen understanding of the evolution of history and firm grasp of the trend of the times, General Secretary Xi Jinping made this key judgment about the current international situation: "Our world is experiencing profound changes unseen in a century."

　　在这个百年变局中，中国当然也会遇到各种新的挑战和新的风险。然而，中国外交就像一艘在大海中航行的巨轮，不为任何迷雾所惑，不被一切风浪所阻，稳健而又坚定地沿着自己确定的方向劈波斩浪、砥砺前行。

　　我们的定力和自信，来自于党的坚强正确领导。

Amid these once-in-a-century changes, China has naturally encountered new challenges and risks. Yet the Chinese diplomacy, like a giant vessel navigating the sea, has neither lost direction in the mist, nor been deterred by winds and storms. Instead, it has kept cleaving waves and forging ahead, resolute and steadfast, toward its intended destination.

This steadfastness and confidence comes from the strong leadership of the Communist Party.

　　今年6月，中央外事工作会议胜利召开，这次具有里程碑意义的会议取得的最重要成果，就是确立了习近平外交思想的指导地位，为进入新时代的中国特色大国外交指明了前进方向，也为我们应对世界变局、战胜各种挑战提供了强大思想武器。过去一年，在以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚强领导下，在习近平外交思想的正确指引下，中国外交全面贯彻落实党的十九大精神和战略部署，保持定力、沉着应对，主动运筹、积极进取，展现了新气象，体现了新作为，取得了新成果。如果用几个关键词来概括，那就是：开放、合作、稳进、引领、担当、坚守。

In June this year, the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs was successfully convened. The most important outcome of this milestone conference is the establishment of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy as the fundamental guideline for China's foreign relations. Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy charts the way forward for our major-country diplomacy in the new era and provides us with powerful inspiration for tackling challenges in this fast-changing world.

Over the past year, following the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, we in the foreign service have worked proactively with a clear focus and a cool head to fully implement the guiding principles and strategic decisions of the 19th Party Congress. We opened new prospects, broke new grounds and achieved new progress. I would like to recapitulate China's foreign policy in 2018 with the following words and phrases: