Chinese diplomacy aims to maintain world peace, promote common development （1）   2002-11-13 19:32:52 Against a backdrop of dramatic changes in the international arena, China, through its diplomacy, has made unremitting efforts to safeguard world peace and promote common prosperity. Jiang Zemin said in his report to the on－going 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China （CPC）, "No matter how the international situation changes, we will, as always, pursue the independent foreign policy of peace. The purpose of China's foreign policy is to maintain world peace and promote common development." Jiang said, "Peace and development remain the themes of our era. The growing trends toward world multi－polarization and economic globalization have brought with them opportunities and favorable conditions for world peace and development. "However, the old international political and economic order, which is unfair and irrational, has yet to be changed fundamentally. The world is far from being tranquil, and mankind is faced with many grave challenges." Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said, "The great changes are offering China great opportunities but also posing serious challenges at the same time." In response to dizzying international changes and displaying great courage and skills, the third－generation leadership of the CPC, with Jiang Zemin at the core, has scored one victory after another in the diplomatic arena. A retrospect of China's diplomacy in the period following the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee in 1989 gives ample proof of the diplomatic skills of the CPC third－generation leadership. In November 1993, the first official meeting between Jiang and former US President Bill Clinton took place in Seattle of the United States. The meeting restored the thorny Sino－US relations after 1989 and opened a channel for ensuing high－level Sino－US meetings. China withstood the impact of the collapse of the Soviet Union and drastic changes in eastern Europe and eventually saw the removal of sanctions imposed on it by Western countries, gaining a firm foothold on the international stage. On July 1, 1997, the Chinese government resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, and on Dec. 20, 1999, Macao also returned to the embrace of the motherland, signaling that the "one country, two systems" concept had become a reality and that a giant step had been taken toward China's reunification.