Xi Jinping announces ambitious plan to spread China’s influence

China’s ruling party sees an opportunity to gain influence on a scale unknown by previous communist bodies as the US is perceived to withdraw internationally.

Myanmar's State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping is moving swiftly to build international support to become a global ideological governor. The Chinese President hosted a “high-level dialogue” of party leaders from more than 120 countries in Beijing at the weekend.

Following the Communist Party Congress in October, which elevated Mr Xi alongside Mao Zedong, the party is spreading his gospel of “a community with a shared future for mankind” through a rush of visits and meetings with foreign leaders.

Mr Xi told the international party delegates: “I’m delighted to see that friendly co-operation between China and other countries is increasingly expanding.”

He said his concept of a global community was “gaining endorsement”. More than six million copies of a collection of Mr Xi’s speeches, The Governance of China, have been distributed in 21 languages in 120 countries.

China’s ruling party sees an opportunity to gain influence on a scale unknown by previous communist bodies — including that of the former Soviet Union — as the US is perceived to withdraw internationally.

“Facing increasingly complicated and integrated threats, we shall not fight alone, nor shall we worship military force,” Mr Xi said at the Beijing meeting.

He called for a “fair, just and shared security” based on alliances. Mr Xi commended a “more open and inclusive, more balanced, more equitable” form of economic globalisation.

He proposed a new model of party-to-party relations that seeks common ground while shelving differences. Issues such as human rights can, in such a model, be placed to one side.

Mr Xi announced it would invite — meaning entirely fund — the visits of 15,000 leaders from foreign parties over the next five years to deepen exchanges.

The party, not China’s government or state bodies, is taking the lead in the ambitious program. Xinhua news agency said the delegates at the weekend meeting visited the central party school and the exhibition lauding the Communist Party’s five years under Mr Xi.

A week ago, a party delegation travelled to brief senior politicians in Japan, South Korea and Mongolia about October’s congress. Last week, the seventh forum of China and Central and Eastern European Countries met in Budapest.

Among the leaders in Beijing yesterday were Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Myanmar’s State Councillor, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Mr Xi told Ms Suu Kyi that their parties should maintain close ties, share experience on party and state governance, and strengthen political guidance in bilateral ties. Ms Suu Kyi said her National League for Democracy appreciated the “rich experience” of the CCP in party and state governance.

On Friday, the prime ministers of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation of eight countries through Central Asia met in Sochi, Russia, under the chairmanship of China.

And Beijing sent a special envoy to Zimbabwe to congratulate new President Emmerson Mnangagwa after he replaced China’s best friend in Africa, Robert Mugabe.