二是提出构建全球伙伴关系网络。在这次中央外事工作会议上，习近平主席还提出另一个重大外交理念，就是要在坚持不结盟原则的前提下广交朋友，形成遍布全球的伙伴关系网络。

2. The call for building a global network of partnerships. Another major diplomatic vision expounded by President Xi Jinping at the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs is to make more friends and build a global network of partnerships while abiding by the principle of non-alignment.

构建伙伴关系是中国外交的一个特色。以结盟对抗为标志的冷战终结后，我们及时总结历史经验教训，开始探索走出一条结伴而不结盟的新路。截止目前，我国已同67个国家、5个地区或区域组织建立了72对不同形式、不同程度的伙伴关系，基本覆盖了世界上主要国家和重要地区。习近平主席此次明确提出构建全球伙伴关系网络，是对过去20多年来我国成功实践的提炼和概括，使我们关于构建伙伴关系的思路更有战略高度，更具全球视野。

Building partnership is a distinctive feature of China’s diplomacy. After the end of the Cold War which was marked by the confrontation between alliance of nations, we drew on the experience and lessons of history in a timely way and succeeded in developing a new approach of forming partners instead of allies. China has established 72 partnerships in different forms and at different levels with 67 countries and 5 regions or regional organizations, which cover all the major countries and regions in the world. President Xi Jinping’s call for building a global network of partnerships is an incisive summary and enrichment of China’s successful diplomatic practices over the past two decades and more. It has increased the strategic and global dimension for our efforts to build partnerships.

我们构建的伙伴关系有三个基本特征。首先是平等性。国家不分大小贫富，都要相互尊重主权、独立和领土完整，相互尊重各自选择的发展道路与价值观念，相互平等相待，相互理解支持。第二是和平性。伙伴关系与军事同盟最大的区别是不设假想敌，不针对第三方，排除了军事因素对国家间关系的干扰，致力于以合作而非对抗的方式，以共赢而非零和的理念处理国与国关系。第三是包容性，超越社会制度与意识形态的异同，最大限度地谋求共同利益与共同追求，正像习近平主席所指出的，“志同道合，是伙伴。求同存异，也是伙伴”。当然，伙伴关系并不意味着放弃原则，我们在国际事务中仍将坚持独立自主的外交方针，根据事情本身的是非曲直决定自己的立场，作出自己的判断。

The partnerships that we are building have three basic features. First, equality. Countries, regardless of their sizes or levels of development, should respect each other’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity as well as each other’s choice of development path and values, treat each other as equals, and show mutual understanding for and support each other. Second, peace. What makes such partnership different from military alliance is that it does not have any hypothetical enemy nor is it targeted at any third party, thus keeping relations between countries unaffected by military factors. It aims to handle state-to-state relations with a cooperative rather than confrontational, and a win-win rather than zero-sum approach. Third, inclusiveness. The partnership we have initiated seeks to go beyond differences in social systems and ideologies to maximize common interests and pursue a common goal. As President Xi Jinping puts it, "Those who share the same vision and follow the same path are partners. Those who seek common ground while shelving differences can also be partners." On the other hand, partnership does not mean giving up principles. China will continue to follow an independent foreign policy of peace in international affairs, and take position and make its judgment on an issue based on its merits.