Hu Jintao on Foreign Policy

Hu Jintao's foreign policy, often encapsulated by the concept of "Peaceful Development" and a world of "Harmonious World," aimed to assure the international community that China's burgeoning power was a benefit rather than a source of conflict. He continued the developmental diplomacy tradition established under his predecessors, expanding China's cooperation across the globe, particularly with developing nations in Africa and Latin America. The key attributes of his international approach involved accepting diverse political systems and paths of national development, while rejecting unilateralism and hegemonic ambitions from any single power.

This framework was structured around four developmental objectives: prioritizing big powers, focusing on periphery countries, establishing developing countries as the foundation, and using multilateralism as the stage. While pursuing this generally pragmatic and predictable path, there was an underlying tension, or struggle, between maintaining a low-profile approach and engaging in increased diplomatic activism, which saw the beginnings of strategic shifts later accelerated under his successor. This era also formalized China's stance against any move toward Taiwan independence, even while seeking improved cross-strait economic ties.