Foreign policy

While remaining consistent and stable in its foreign policy, the new leadership has also enriched and developed its stance. Meanwhile, it tries to properly deal with its relationship with other big countries, with its neighbors, as well as pressing international issues.

The international observers have paid close attention to Xi's expounding on China's peaceful development path. Overseas analysts believe these remarks not only suggest Beijing will continue on the path of peaceful development and win-win cooperation, but also clarify the country's bottom line in handling foreign affairs.

Xi stresses that the path of peaceful development is a "strategic choice." When the international community is doubting whether China will continue on the path of peaceful development, the announcement of this standpoint is fresh and also highlights the importance of peaceful development.

On foreign policy, Xi has said China will stick to the path of peaceful development, but added that this will not come at the expense of its legitimate rights and interests. China will never sacrifice its core interests.

The Spanish EFE news agency reported that the bottom line of China for foreign policy would be particularly important on issues involving China's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Xi said the odds of success for Beijing's strategy to rise peacefully were, in large part, determined by whether China could grasp opportunities offered by the world, and whether the country's growth could provide opportunities.

Xi's words were a testament to China's aspiration for more cooperation within the region and the world at large, said Andrew Macintyre, an academic with the Australian National University.

The new leadership's opinions on the relationship between big powers, neighborly relationships and hot issues have also attracted close attention.

In his meeting with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on December 13, 2012, Xi said China and the United States, under a new climate, should work to build a cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and benefit, while at the same time creating a new type of bilateral ties between major powers. On China's relations with Russia, Xi proposed the two countries step up political support for each other, and enhance coordination on regional and international affairs.

As for what expectation they have on China's relationship with other big powers under the new CPC leadership, both U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin responded positively, voicing willingness to further cement ties with China.

While sticking to the foreign policy of building an amicable friendship and partnership with its neighbors, the new leadership particularly stresses "to benefit surrounding countries by developing ourselves."

Le Luong Minh, ASEAN Secretary General, said, ASEAN aims to build an economic community by 2015, and China's communication with the region in culture, tourism and so on can be further pushed forward.

On global hot spots, the new leadership has taken a principled approach while taking into account the overall situation of regional peace and stability.

On North Korea's nuclear issue, China strongly opposes tests, and at the same time, it upholds that the issue should be solved through peaceful means.

On the issue of the South China Sea, the Chinese side has always insisted that the Huangyan Island is its integral territory and there should be no disputes on its sovereignty. China agrees that differences can be removed through bilateral talks, but refuses the Philippines' demand for international arbitration. On the issue of the East China Sea, China has already sent routine ocean surveillance ships to the waters of the Diaoyu Islands. China demands that the Japanese side also make efforts to properly solve the problem through negotiation.

"There is no doubt that China's new leaders face a different world than Hu Jintao, former General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, did when he took over in 2002, but chances are good that the CPC under the new leadership will be able to adapt to and meet whatever new challenges the rapidly changing domestic and international environment pose," said an article entitled The Life of the Party: The Post-Democratic Future Begins in China, carried by Foreign Affairs magazine early this year.

Things look good 100 days after the new CPC leadership took power, which positively impresses the rest of the world and also strengthens the whole nation's confidence in the country's future.

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