Foreign Affairs Commission Under the CPC Central Committee

In March 2018, the CPC Central Committee released the Plan for Deepening the Reform of Party and Government Institutions. In line with this document, the Leading Group for Foreign Affairs under the Central Committee was turned into the Foreign Affairs Commission to take charge of top-level design, overall planning and coordination, and progressing external work on all fronts, and to oversee the execution of all relevant tasks. The commission has Xi Jinping as the head, and the work is done by an executive office.

The commission met for the first time on May 15, 2018. Xi said at the meeting that China faces both opportunities and challenges in a world of increasing uncertainty and instability. So it needs to observe the dictates of a changing international situation, follow the development trends of China as well as of the wider world, be aware of the risks and challenges ahead, and take preventive measures to ensure that potential problems are properly addressed. He urged better diplomatic planning, implementation of plans for major diplomatic activities, enhanced awareness of risks, and firm safeguarding of national sovereignty, security and development interests. He also demanded strengthening of the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee over foreign affairs, acquiring an accurate understanding of the current international situation, and forging ahead to open new prospects of major-country diplomacy with distinctive Chinese characteristics, so as to contribute to the realization of the Two Centennial Goals and the Chinese Dream of national renewal.

中央外事工作委員會

2018年3月，中共中央印發了《深化黨和國家機構改革方案》。根據該方案， 中央外事工作領導小組改為中央外事工作委員會，負責外事領域重大工作的頂層設計、總體布局、統籌協調、整體推進、督促落實。中央外事工作委員會主任為習近平，辦事機構是中央外事工作委員會辦公室。2018年5月15日，中央外事工作委員會第一次會議召開。習近平在講話中指出，當今世界不確定不穩定因素增多，中國發展面臨的機遇和挑戰并存。中國要準確把握國際形勢變化的規律，既認清中國和世界發展大勢，又看到前進道路上面臨的風險挑戰，未雨綢繆、妥善應對，切實做好工作。要深化外交布局，落實重大外交活動規劃，增強風險意識，堅定維護國家主權、安全、發展利益。要加強黨中央對外事工作的集中統一領導，準確把握當前國際形勢發展變化，銳意進取、開拓創新，努力開創中國特色大國外交新局面，為實現“兩個一百年”奮斗目標、實現中華民族偉大復興的中國夢作出更大貢獻。