Liang Jianjun, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, emphasised the importance of good neighbourly relations, stating that "a good neighbour means a peaceful and secure home."
“That’s why the Central Committee convened the first-ever Neighbourhood Diplomacy Work Conference, explicitly positioning neighbourhood relations as the foundation for China’s development and prosperity. It is a priority in safeguarding national security, a key element of overall diplomatic strategy, and a vital part of building a community with a shared future for mankind,” he said.
Liang made the remarks during a recent press conference held at the “Lin Jia 7 Salon” within the Beijing International Club.
He mentioned that many of China’s key foreign policy initiatives—such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilisation Initiative—were first introduced or advanced in neighbouring countries.
China's foreign trade continues to grow despite challenges posed by tariff barriers
To date, China has achieved consensus on building a community with a shared future with 17 neighbouring nations. The most recent agreement was with Brunei in February this year. In mainland Southeast Asia and Central Asia, China has established two major regional clusters dedicated to fostering shared future communities.
Liang further added that China’s neighbourhood diplomacy is guided by the vision of constructing five types of shared homes—peaceful, secure, prosperous, beautiful, and friendly.
This vision is supported by the principle of forging friendships and partnerships with neighbours based on amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness, as well as the belief in building a community of shared destiny.
"It adheres to the Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness, and inclusiveness, with high-quality Belt and Road cooperation serving as the main platform, and a security model based on common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security as the strategic foundation," he added.
Foreign Ministers laud progress in China-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral cooperation
Regarding tariffs, he said China pledged to strengthen supply chain cooperation, emphasising that tariff wars have no winners—a sharp contrast to U.S. economic bullying.
This has positioned China as a champion of free trade, defender of developing countries’ interests, and a leader in regional cooperation.
This image has become deeply ingrained, showing China as a trustworthy, stable, and long-term partner in the region, sending a reassuring signal amid uncertainty. China speaks and acts accordingly.
Faced with the U.S. unilateral tariff impositions, China stood firm as a pillar, was the first to counter decisively, and compelled the U.S. to adjust its tariff policies, Liang added.