The first and second volumes of selected works of Xi Jinping on diplomacy were recently published by the Central Party Literature Press. Spanning January 2013 to November 2025, the collection comprises 134 of the most important and foundational writings on foreign affairs by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Together, these writings constitute an authoritative and systematic body of primary texts through which the Party as a whole and people of all ethnic groups across China can deepen their study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, particularly Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy. The collection has been enthusiastically received by scholars in philosophy and the social sciences.

The works in the collection span 13 years of diplomatic practice. The first volume contains 63 pieces that systematically introduce and elaborate on such guiding concepts as building a community with a shared future for humanity, fostering a new type of international relations, and advancing neighborhood diplomacy. Together, they lay the theoretical foundation for major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. The second volume comprises 71 pieces that further set out the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative, and Global Governance Initiative, offering a comprehensive strategy for improving global governance, advancing neighborhood diplomacy, and strengthening solidarity and cooperation across the Global South.

Xu Jin, director of the Research Division for Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy at the Institute of World Economics and Politics under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, described Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy as a grand, scientifically grounded, innovative, and open theoretical system. A new type of international relations forms its foundation, the shared values of humanity provide its normative guidance, the Four Global Initiatives serve as its strategic vehicles, and high-quality Belt and Road cooperation provides its practical platform, he explained.

Wang Yiwei, a professor from the School of International Studies at Renmin University of China, said the selected works bring together writings on Chinese modernization, high-standard opening-up, global governance, and the transformation of the international order, thereby connecting the theoretical logic of domestic governance with that of foreign affairs. In doing so, the collection embodies the grand strategic vision of “stabilizing the external environment through sound domestic governance and boosting domestic development via external engagement.”

“The most important theoretical breakthrough brought by the selected works is embodied in two dimensions: the Four Global Initiatives and the vision of a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home,” said Liu Jun, deputy dean of the School of Politics and International Relations at East China Normal University. “For the first time, the full original texts of the Four Global Initiatives are presented in published form, fully reflecting China’s theoretical awareness as it evolves from a participant to a leader in global governance. The vision of a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home, systematically proposed at the Central Conference on Work Relating to Neighboring Countries in April 2025 as a shared aspiration, marks the first systematic practical framework for advancing the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity at the level of peripheral region, representing innovative advances in both concepts and practices of China’s neighborhood diplomacy.”

Wang Cungang, a professor from the Zhou Enlai School of Government at Nankai University, characterized Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy as the latest achievement in Marxist international relations (IR) theory. It reveals the broad trajectory of global development and the fundamental laws governing the evolution of international relations in the contemporary era, he said. It not only guides Chinese diplomacy as it steadily advances amid profound change, but also contributes Chinese wisdom, ideas, and paradigms to the development of IR theory worldwide.

Scholars noted that the selected works demonstrate the distinctly practice-oriented character of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy. This orientation is evident not only in its macro-level strategic frameworks, but also in its in-depth analysis of specific issues and the targeted policy responses it offers. The collection serves as a fundamental guide and roadmap for breaking new ground amid change and seizing opportunities in times of crisis. For researchers, it offers three forms of foundational value: a complete body of primary texts, an accurate reconstruction of their contexts, and authoritative materials for theoretical research. The 134 writings chronicle both the evolution of China’s diplomatic concepts and the unfolding of its strategies over 13 years. They also constitute a history of continued theoretical innovation through the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times in the field of foreign affairs.

Turning to the research agenda opened up by the selected works, scholars emphasized the need for concerted efforts in theoretical interpretation, practical application, and international communication to accelerate the development of independent Chinese knowledge, discourse, and narrative systems for IR studies.