CHINA-LEADERSHIP: CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING STRESSES LOYALTY TO PARTY AND PARTY DISCIPLINE AT CENTRAL FOREIGN AFFAIRS WORK CONFERENCE
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Addressing China's diplomats at the once-in-five-year China Foreign Affairs Work Conference
held in Beijing on December 27-28, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged them to forge a
"diplomatic iron army" loyal to the Communist Party "with a posture of readiness and a firm
will to defy strong powers". According to state-owned CCTV, he asked them to "Dare to be
good at struggle and to become defenders of the national interest. It is necessary to... resolutely
safeguard the interests of national sovereignty, security and development with a posture of
readiness and a firm will to defy strong powers." He also urged envoys to adhere to Party
discipline, repeating the word "strict" seven times. He said, "It is necessary to put rules and
discipline in front, strictly discipline oneself, take strict responsibility... and create a diplomatic
iron army that is loyal to the Party... dares to and is good at struggle, and observes strict
discipline." A Xinhua commentary clarified that the diplomats "were not being urged to put on
a menacing face before the world. Instead, they were being encouraged to act on their best
behaviour and not bend the rules." Xi Jinping said "Loyalty to the Party, the country and the
people is the glorious tradition of the diplomatic front" and “It is necessary to build a strong
line of ideological defence... and be an astute person with firm political beliefs who strictly
complies with rules and discipline." He also emphasised the need for China to increase its
international influence to combat what he believes are the West's attempts to contain and
suppress China, repeating the word "struggle" five times. Xi Jinping said "We must make broad
and deep friendships, and the fight to win people's hearts must be carried out at all levels. We
must use foreign language and methods to tell the China story well." Xi Jinping also lashed out
against the West's "bullying" and "hegemony", urging diplomats and officials to "carry forward
our fighting spirit".
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