Friendly coexistence

The ongoing annual meetings of the country's top legislature and political advisory body will complete a once-in-a-decade leadership transition this week by appointing top government officeholders. For those who are eager to learn about the new leadership's diplomatic strategy options, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi's news conference, held on the sidelines of the two parallel sessions on Saturday, could provide a useful prism.

Yang talked at length about how China sees its interactions with the rest of the world, touching upon almost all the bilateral and multilateral ties China has with major regional and global partners, including Russia, the United States and neighboring countries, and reiterated its commitment to maintaining them.

Yang's deliberation shows China is sincere about sharing its vision with its foreign partners and maintaining smooth communication with them on major issues. This is important as it facilitates mutual understanding and helps avert any misjudgments.