On November 2, 2022, Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng attended upon invitation the "Global Insight into Enterprises Directly under the Central Government" event and delivered a keynote speech, sharing with foreign diplomatic envoys to China his perceptions and thoughts on studying the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Ambassadors and senior diplomats of 60 plus countries to China, Chairman Zhu Hexin and President Xi Guohua of CITIC Group, and responsible officials of relevant departments of the Foreign Ministry, among others, were present.

Xie Feng said that the 20th CPC National Congress is of great importance. It takes place at a critical time as the country embarks on a new journey to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects and advance toward the Second Centenary Goal. The first plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee elected a new central leadership with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. That fully reflects the broad consensus and common will of the entire Party and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which is based on adapting the basic tenets of Marxism to China's specific realities and fine traditional Chinese culture, has opened a new frontier in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. We will fully implement and adhere to the Thought over the long term. Xie Feng expressed the confidence that with General Secretary Xi Jinping at the helm and under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China will seize opportunities to realize the development strategies and goals set by the 20th CPC National Congress against all risks and challenges.

Focusing his speech on the major achievements and far-reaching significance of the 20th CPC National Congress, Xie Feng stressed three points. First, "a meeting characterized by upholding socialism with Chinese characteristics, charting the course for China's development, and forging ahead in unity". The Congress has charted the course and established the guide to action for the cause of the Party and the country on the new journey in the new era and for realizing the Second Centenary Goal. Second, "a pioneering and innovative Chinese path to modernization". Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Chinese modernization is rooted in China with a global outlook. It contains elements that are common to the modernization processes of all countries, but it is more characterized by features that are unique to the Chinese context. Third, "a strategic choice committed to building a human community with a shared future". China will make concerted efforts with the rest of the international community to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world featuring lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.

Xie Feng said that China will remain committed to its fundamental national policy of opening to the outside world, pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up, remain firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace, work for building a new type of international relations, play an active part in the reform and development of the global governance system, champion the common values of humanity of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, and contribute Chinese insight, input, and strength to building a human community with a shared future. At the same time, we have taken a clear-cut stance against hegemonism and power politics in all their forms, and we have never wavered in our opposition to unilateralism, protectionism, and bullying of any kind.

Xie Feng said that China's new journey will create new opportunities for the world with new advances in China's development. China is ready to deepen cooperation with other countries for mutual benefit and an even brighter future!

Xie Feng expressed that the enterprisses directly under the central government play a major role in leading China's opening-up and participating in international cooperation, embody an important link between China and the rest of the world. He expressed the hope that today's event will provide a window for the diplomatic envoys to have a deeper understanding of these enterprises, and build a bridge for the two sides to meet their needs and carry out cooperation.

The diplomatic envoys to China at the event once again extended warm congratulations on the success of the 20th CPC National Congress and President Xi Jinping's re-election as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, which they believe are of great significance for both China and the larger world. The diplomatic envoys said that they have closely followed the 20th CPC National Congress, and that through today's exchanges, they gained a deeper understanding of the missions, purposes, guiding ideology, governing philosophy and central tasks of the CPC, the characteristics, path and prospects of Chinese modernization, the building of a human community with a shared future and so on. They said that they will report the relevant contents to their respective governments.

The diplomatic envoys hailed the tremendous changes in China, especially the remarkable accomplishment over the past 10 years. They held the view that the CPC has demonstrated effective leadership. The five characteristics of Chinese modernization, especially those related to poverty alleviation, common prosperity and ecological conservation and whole-process people's democracy, stroke a strong chord among the diplomatic envoys. Some ambassadors recalled that in the 1980s and 1990s, they had traveled in China by "slow trains" - still in operation today as public services - mentioned in Xie Feng's speech. They saw with their own eyes how the poor and backward small villages in China "came out of the tunnel and embraced the light" through development.

The diplomatic envoys said that China is a major country with global influence. Noting that the 20th CPC National Congress stressed China will firmly follow the path of peaceful development, firmly pursue a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up, and implement the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, the diplomatic envoys expressed the confidence that China will play a bigger role in promoting world economic growth, addressing global challenges, and safeguarding regional and world peace and stability. They expressed readiness to work with China to strengthen economic and trade cooperation, experience-sharing, and dialogue between civilizations. They also expressed the hope that Chinese enterprises, including thrse direcly under the central government, will be further "going global" and expanding cooperation in outbound investment to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.

Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng also answered questions from the diplomatic envoys on how China handles the relationship between development and security and more.