Anecdotes in China's major-country diplomacy: Too busy to have a biscuit

Editor's Note: China is rolling out a major documentary series on its diplomatic principles, practices and achievements over the past five years. The English-language version of the program is now also available on TV and online. To help audience better understand Chinese diplomacy, Xinhua is releasing a variety of reports that include anecdotes, quotable quotes, facts and figures.

The following is an anecdote from the TV series related to Chinese President Xi Jinping's foreign visits over the past five years:

Xi made 28 foreign trips to 56 countries and major international and regional organizations on the five continents, flying an accumulative 570,000 km and spending 193 days on foreign visits.

Since he took office in March 2013, Xi has comprehensively elaborated China's views concerning security, development and global governance, and actively pushed for the reform of the global governance system.

China successfully promoted the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Silk Road Fund and the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), helping drive the international economic governance system in a more just and reasonable direction.

China's sound and effective plans have greatly enhanced its international influence and appeal, as the world has never been so eager to hear China's voice and apply its wisdom to find solutions to problems as it does now.

Over the past five years, globetrotting Xi has never stopped narrowing the distance between China and the world. He once said humorously that although foreign trips are "extravagant" for costing much time, they are necessary.

Although every trip had a packed agenda, Xi was glad to spare time to visit more places, arrange more meetings, and participate in more activities. As a result, his trips were usually scheduled to the minute.

Zhou Yu, an interpreter with China's Foreign Ministry, said Xi usually had no time to eat during his foreign trips. "Once, the President totally had no time to have supper. One guard of the President passed me a box of biscuits at a slot between two bilateral (events), saying 'please give it to the President while you are in the vehicle, and let him have several pieces to fight hunger.'"

Under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China Central Committee with Xi at the core, Chinese diplomacy has accomplished a great deal and successfully forged a major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said.

China is walking toward the center of the world arena with a more confident and open manner, which is different from the traditional big powers, Wang said, adding that China has not only maintained a favorable external environment for its own development, but also continued making contribution to world peace and development as well as mankind's prosperity and advancement.