China’s “Peaceful Development” Doctrine Becomes the Cornerstone of Its Global Diplomacy and Foreign Policy Strategy

The narrative that the Chinese state advances is clear: peaceful development is not a vague slogan but a strategic, rational decision rooted in a long‑standing cultural heritage and the Party’s socialist worldview. Articles on Chinese platforms such as Weibo, and videos posted by accounts linked to state media, repeatedly stress that China’s rise will be “defensive, non‑aggressive and never hegemonic.” References to classic Confucian precepts – “己所不欲，勿施于人” (do not do unto others what you would not have done to yourself) – and to ancient concepts of “协同万邦” (harmonious relations among all nations) are used to lend historical depth to the policy. The messages are amplified by hashtags like #和平发展是中国的坚定选择#, ensuring that a consistent set of talking points reaches a broad online audience.

President Xi Jinping is the face of this discourse. In a series of public engagements – from a conversation with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou in which he invoked the ancient Greek concept of “thinking Athena” to a series of remarks at multilateral forums – Xi has reiterated that China’s development will contribute to global stability rather than undermine it. His speeches, often reproduced verbatim on state websites and replayed across television networks, stress that China will “always be a force for good and an unswerving champion for peace and development.” The consistent framing is intended to reassure both domestic and international audiences that China’s economic ascent does not presage a new era of expansionist aspirations.

The historical trajectory of the concept mirrors China’s own evolution. While the idea of harmonious, multi‑ethnic nation‑building stretches back five millennia, the modern formulation was first codified in 2007, when Party officials linked peaceful development to the nation’s specific conditions, cultural traditions and the imperatives of global trends. A decade later, at the Party’s 90th anniversary, the policy was elevated to a “strategic choice” for the country’s modernization, and the language was sharpened in 2012 to emphasise that peaceful development is essential for enriching the people, strengthening the nation and contributing to world civilization. In the most recent chapter, 2023, Chinese officials portrayed the ongoing modernization of more than 1.4 billion citizens as a “growth in global peace forces,” positioning the country as a stabilising pillar in an increasingly volatile world.

That narrative has not been confined to rhetoric. In 2024 China took a visibly active role in a series of regional peacemaking initiatives. Diplomatic channels facilitated a historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, helped mediate internal divisions among Palestinian factions, and pressed for a cease‑fire in Gaza. These moves were presented as evidence of China’s capacity to act as a constructive “peace‑broker” in a region where longstanding rivalries have long defied resolution. Parallel to those high‑profile diplomatic forays, Beijing has continued to nurture the “new type of international relations” it envisions: an arrangement built on mutual respect, shared development and a “community with a shared future for mankind.” In statements issued throughout 2024 and into 2025, Chinese officials repeatedly underscored that the country “will never seek hegemony or engage in expansionism” and that it rejects “the Cold‑War mindset” and the belief that “strong nations must dominate.”

The policy also permeates more quotidian aspects of China’s external engagement. Trade data from 2024 show that Vietnam remained China’s largest trading partner for more than two decades, with bilateral exchanges topping $260 billion. The flow of Vietnamese agricultural products into Chinese households, and ongoing talks about railway connectivity, are portrayed as concrete examples of how peaceful development translates into tangible economic benefits for neighbours. Likewise, the cross‑strait relationship with Taiwan is repeatedly framed as “peaceful reunification through integrated development,” a line that the Party hopes will resonate with the public on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

The emphasis on peaceful development carries significant implications across industry, society and politics. For multinational firms, the narrative implies that China will continue to champion open trade, uphold the Belt and Road Initiative’s infrastructure projects and maintain its role as a vital node in global supply chains. The promise of a “defensive defense policy” and a commitment to multilateralism also serves to reassure investors that Beijing’s rise does not pose a systemic risk of geopolitical disruption. At the same time, the Chinese drive for self‑reliance in key technologies suggests that foreign partners will need to navigate a landscape in which collaboration is welcomed but strategic autonomy is fiercely guarded.

Domestically, the policy is tied to the government’s legitimacy. By linking economic prosperity and social harmony to the broader promise of global peace, the Party positions the delivery of better living standards, improved education and health services, and robust poverty‑alleviation programmes as evidence that its peaceful development path is delivering results. Cultural diplomacy is another pillar: increased tourism, student exchanges and cultural festivals are used to project a soft‑power image that counters the “aggressive” stereotypes sometimes aired in western media.

Politically, the commitment to peaceful development reinforces China’s push for a re‑shaped global governance architecture. Beijing’s active participation in United Nations bodies, its advocacy for reforms that give greater voice to a “multipolar” order, and its vocal opposition to “hegemonic” practices by any single power are all couched within the same discourse. At home, the policy bolsters the CPC’s narrative that it is not only capable of steering the country to unprecedented economic heights but also of shaping a stable international environment that benefits all.

The centrality of the Communist Party to this narrative cannot be overstated. While individual leaders such as former President Hu Jintao and former Premier Li Keqiang have voiced variations on the theme – emphasizing “socialism with Chinese characteristics” or “peaceful development of cross‑strait relations” – the policy’s intellectual and operational backbone is the Party itself. The phrase “peaceful development is China’s firm choice” is therefore less a quotation from any one person than a collective pronouncement, etched into Party documents and reiterated by countless officials, diplomats and media outlets.

In the final analysis, the phrase continues to function as a diplomatic shield and a development roadmap. Whether it will succeed in convincing skeptical observers that China’s ascendancy can coexist with a stable, cooperative global order remains an open question. What is clear, however, is that the Chinese leadership has embedded the idea deeply into its domestic governance, its economic strategy and its foreign‑policy toolbox. As the world navigates a patchwork of crises – from climate change to supply‑chain disruptions and geopolitical flashpoints – Beijing will likely continue to wield “peaceful development” as both a promise and a policy instrument, shaping how it is perceived and how it interacts with the rest of the international community.