In the following article, Sergio Rodríguez Gelfenstein – former director of international relations in Venezuela’s presidential office and former ambassador to Nicaragua – contrasts China’s global diplomacy with the United States’ aggressive foreign policy, arguing that while Washington pursues war, coercion and domination, Beijing advances peace, cooperation, and mutual development.
While the United States plots wars, plans invasions, enacts sanctions, and imposes tariffs on the entire world, China quietly advances its diplomacy of peace. Washington rhetorically spews its plan for planetary destruction, which it carries out in a Machiavellian manner, assuming that this will enable it to maintain its global hegemony. Meanwhile, without much noise, Beijing builds a dynamic of peace and cooperation to make the Earth a livable place for all its inhabitants.
In recent months, amid escalating US and Israeli aggression in West Asia, China has held numerous diplomatic summits promoting stability and multilateralism.
In Latin America, the Fourth China-CELAC Forum in May reaffirmed shared goals in sustainable development and trade, laying the groundwork for the 2025–2027 cooperation plan. In Africa, China convened with 53 countries and the African Union in June, reinforcing the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035 and rejecting unilateral sanctions.
China also deepened ties with the EU, seeking compromises on trade disputes, particularly over electric vehicles. Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasised that China and the EU should be “partners, not rivals”, and urged commitment to multilateralism and peace. Talks with the US, meanwhile, have faltered due to Washington’s unpredictability and hostile actions, particularly around Taiwan and trade measures. Vice Premier He Lifeng insisted that only equal dialogue can resolve trade issues, reiterating: “There are no winners in trade wars”.
China’s active diplomacy extended to Central Asia and West Asia. At the China-Central Asia Summit in June, the heads of state of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan signed a treaty of good neighbourliness and permanent friendly cooperation, described by Xi Jinping as “a new milestone in the history of relations between the six countries”.
Meanwhile, China vehemently condemned the US attacks on Iran as “seriously violating the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, as well as Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity”. China called for a ceasefire, civilian protection, and renewed negotiations—highlighting its consistent orientation towards peace over aggression.
This makes it clear that while some wage war, others advocate for peace and cooperation among all the peoples of the planet.
This article was first published on Sergio Rodríguez Gelfenstein’s blog, and translated from Spanish to English by John Catalinotto for Workers World.
While the United States plots wars, plans invasions, enacts sanctions, and imposes tariffs on the entire world, China quietly advances its diplomacy of peace. Washington rhetorically spews its plan for planetary destruction, which it carries out in a Machiavellian manner, assuming that this will enable it to maintain its global hegemony. Meanwhile, without much noise, Beijing builds a dynamic of peace and cooperation to make the Earth a livable place for all its inhabitants.
Especially in the last two months, simultaneously with the U.S. and Zionist genocidal program to remove the Palestinian people and attacks against Iran, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon, China has been meeting with representatives from more than half of the world’s countries to discuss a future of harmony, concord, balance, and mutual aid for the improvement, prosperity, and progress of humanity.
Overwhelmed by bad news of war, destruction, and death, we should take note that on the other side of the world, another power is working for peace, construction, and life. Let’s look at this chronologically to get a clearer picture of how China is developing a strategy that shows that good and positive things are also happening in the world.
China with Latin America and the Caribbean
We begin by talking about an event that was directly related to our [Latin American] region. On May 13, the Fourth China-CELAC Forum (FCC) was held in Beijing. This meeting reaffirmed the mutual commitment to strengthening bi-regional cooperation based on converging interests in key areas such as sustainable development, technological innovation, and trade. Based on this, a roadmap was outlined for deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between China and Latin America and the Caribbean. [CELAC stands for the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.]
At the end of the meeting, it was agreed to ratify the commitment of the CELAC member states and China to strengthen political dialogue, cooperation, and mutual understanding. In this regard, the FCC was recognized as an important platform for invigorating cooperation between the parties, reaffirming the intention to coordinate efforts to advance toward modernization and sustainable development, linking the strengths and capabilities of the states.
Likewise, the possibilities offered by the CELAC-China Joint Action Plan for Cooperation in Key Areas (2025-2027) were appreciated, and the parties expressed their willingness to analyze the proposals based on shared principles, with a view to subsequently addressing them in a coordinated manner, taking into account issues of interest to the parties involved.
On June 11, 2025, representatives of China, 53 African countries, and the African Union Commission met in Changsha, Hunan, China.
China and the EU
On June 7, China and the European Union (EU) held talks in Paris on key trade issues with the aim of finding mutually acceptable solutions. Both sides made progress in negotiations on price commitments, particularly for electric vehicles, and agreed to redouble their efforts under World Trade Organization rules.
Despite the deep political differences emerging from Europe’s full subordination to the United States and its president, China once again reiterated its willingness to resolve differences through dialogue and expressed its hope that the EU would facilitate technology trade and respect international practices on export controls.
Continuing these ties on June 25, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a meeting with representatives of the EU in Beijing as part of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and that international body.
Wang reiterated that both international actors must “strengthen mutual trust, properly manage differences, pool strengths, and elevate the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level.” (China foreign policy review, June 25) The Chinese foreign minister presented three lines of action to advance the development of bilateral relations.
First, he pointed out that complete national reunification is a long-term aspiration of China and emphasized: “China will never allow the Taiwan region to separate from the motherland.” Second, he stressed that both sides should uphold the original positioning of their partnership, stating that “China and the EU are partners, not rivals, and certainly not enemies.” The third point of his proposal was a commitment to multilateralism.
The foreign minister also mentioned several projects promoted by China at the global level, such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the vision of building a community with a shared future for humankind. He noted that these initiatives have offered “China’s wisdom and solutions to the international community.” He concluded with a call for collaboration: “China and the EU should follow the trend of the times, strengthen understanding, build trust, achieve mutual success, and enlighten the world.”
Meeting with African countries
A few days earlier, on June 11, representatives from China, 53 African countries, and the African Union Commission met in Changsha, the capital of Hunan province in China, to advance the implementation of the outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and strengthen solidarity and cooperation between the two sides.
At the meeting, Foreign Minister Wang stressed that China and Africa, as major forces in the Global South, must jointly face international challenges by promoting a fair order, free trade, and cooperation for global development. In this context, the African side expressed its support for Chinese initiatives and its commitment to implementing the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035, rejecting unilateral sanctions and promoting mutual collaboration towards a better life.
In a greeting to the event, the President of the People’s Republic of the Congo and FOCAC Co-Chair Denis Sassou Nguesso noted that cooperation between China and Africa has yielded “fruitful results” since the previous summit.
In the context of the 25th anniversary of FOCAC, he reiterated his willingness to work with President Xi Jinping to consolidate a community with a shared future and “improve the well-being of the peoples of both sides” by strengthening collaboration with China and other countries of the Global South in initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative, with the aim of “jointly building a multipolar world free of unilateralism and protectionism” and ushering in “a new era of inclusive and mutually beneficial globalization.”
Even in relation to the United States, Chinese diplomacy has been very active. After the dialogue in Geneva and the truce agreed to between the two countries in early May, tensions returned in just two weeks. Due to the inconsistency and instability of the U.S. government and its president, and the lack of strategic thinking that permanently limits the U.S.’s ability to influence the situation, the agreements quickly fell apart.
In this context, following Washington’s open interference in matters related to Taiwan and its accusation that Beijing had not complied with the Geneva Agreements, the Chinese Foreign Ministry was forced to respond by pointing out that mutual respect and consultations on an equal footing must prevail in relations between the two countries. To that end, China rejected the baseless accusation of non-compliance with the agreements and repudiated the U.S. decision to enact new unilateral coercive measures that damage the relationship and generate tension, harming China.
‘Dialog on an equal footing’
For the umpteenth time, on June 11, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said that trade differences between China and the United States should be resolved through “dialogue on an equal footing and cooperation that benefits both sides.” He emphasized that cooperation in this area brings mutual benefits: “There are no winners in trade wars,” he said, adding that “China does not seek conflict, but it will not be intimidated either.” He also pointed out that both sides should “make better use of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism” as agreed by the presidents in their telephone conversation on June 5. (China foreign policy review, June 11)
Continuing his diplomacy of cooperation and peace, President Xi Jinping participated on June 17 in the Second China-Central Asia Summit, held in Astana, Kazakhstan. The meeting brought together the heads of state of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan with the aim of strengthening multilateral ties in various areas of cooperation.
At this event, Xi proposed five pillars for strengthening cooperation: strategic unity, optimization of the framework for collaboration, reinforcement of regional security, ties between peoples, and defense of a fair international order. In this context, he announced the creation of cooperation centers in areas such as poverty reduction, education, and controlling desertification, as well as a platform to facilitate trade between the parties.
At the end of the event, the six countries signed a treaty of good neighborliness and permanent friendly cooperation, which Xi described as “a new milestone in the history of relations between the six countries.”
In the context of the U.S. attacks on Iran and the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council held on June 23, China, through its ambassador Fu Cong, stated its position. Strongly condemning the attack on Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, China accused the United States of “seriously violating the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, as well as Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.”
China on West Asia conflicts
The Chinese also warned that this action had exacerbated tensions in West Asia and dealt a severe blow to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. With great vehemence, the Chinese ambassador called on the international community to “uphold justice and make concrete efforts to calm the situation and restore peace and stability.”
In this regard, China made a four-point proposal:
- Demand an immediate ceasefire and end to hostilities.
- Demand effective protection of civilians.
- Call for a commitment to dialogue and negotiation.
- Urge the Security Council to act swiftly.
In this context, he recalled that the Security Council “has the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security” and therefore cannot stand idly by in the face of a crisis of this magnitude. He therefore called for the adoption of a draft resolution prepared by Russia, China, and Pakistan based on the above four points.
A few days later, on June 25, in response to the BRICS proposal for peace in the Middle East, the Chinese government reiterated its willingness to cooperate with the other members of the BRICS group to contribute to stability and peace in the West Asia region.
In a statement released by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun during a press conference, the Chinese government described BRICS as “a force for progress that advocates global peace and stability and upholds international equity and justice,” noting that during the BRICS summit held in Kazan the previous year, President Xi Jinping said that the group should “commit to peace” and “act as a defender of common security.” In this context, Guo reiterated that “China is willing to work with other countries in the group to continue working for a peaceful and stable Middle East.” (China foreign policy review, June 25)
This makes it clear that while some wage war, others advocate for peace and cooperation among all the peoples of the planet.
