December 25, 2014

"As China has forged partnerships with more than 60 countries around the world, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing's vision for a global partnership network has "basically taken shape".

In recent years, the word "partnership" has come up as a catchphrase in news releases prepared for Chinese leaders' trips abroad. Announcements of China "establishing" or "upgrading" partnerships intrigue policymakers and researchers worldwide.

But China's goal in shaping a global partnership network is not to forge another NATO or, like Washington, to boost hegemony through international alignments, experts said.

The network concept was first officially proposed by President Xi Jinping at a Party conference in late November that focused on foreign policy. Although Xi did not elaborate at the time, he said that "sticking to the nonalignment principle" requires the country to make a wide range of friends."

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http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-12/25/content_19163311.htm