A Study On Special Envoy Diplomacy Of China (From 1979 To 2016)

Since the reform and opening up,China’s special envoy diplomacy has made great progress.However,it has not been studied systematically in domestic and foreign academic circles.In view of this,this paper takes the diplomatic practice of China’s special envoys since 1979 to 2016 as the research object,probes into the practical characteristics and connotation of China’s special envoy diplomacy,and analyzes the development of the special envoy diplomatic system.This work can make up for the deficiency in the academic research on this diplomatic practice and promote the development of the diplomatic practice form of socialism with Chinese characteristics.This paper argues that China’s special envoy diplomacy has experienced three periods.Firstly,in the traditional period,the ftunctions of envoys are less,the assignments are temporary and the symbolic functions are more prominent.Since then,during the period of exploration,the diplomatic practice that one official from the ministry of foreign affairs acted as the special envoy of a certain issue for many times gradually emerged.Finally,during the period of development,one official should be sent to take charge of relevant field for a long time first,and then permanent envoy on the issue should be established as the situation develops.Permanent envoys on issues are gradually increasing,and the practice of some competent departments directly leading the diplomacy of special ernvoys begins to emerge.In practice,China’s envoy diplomacy and western countries’envoy diplomacy play almost the same role,the main differences between the two lie in the source of the envoy and its representative meaning.Western envoys come from a variety of sources,most of whom are representatives of their heads of state.However,all China’s envoys are Chinese government officials,and them represent the Chinese government in foreign affairs.Among China’s envoys,ceremonial envoys are required relatively high political levels,while political envoys are required specialization.The different national systems of China and the west determine this.Theoretically,the different sources and representativeness of special envoys determine that China’s special envoy diplomacy is not an extension of the summit diplomacy as in the western countries.It is still a tool in the diplomatic means of the Chinese government.The Chinese government sends political signals by its representativeness;Enhance communication by virtue of its high level communicating channel;Guarantee the negotiating effect by virtue of its strong specialization;Highlights international responsibilities,conveys national ideas and shapes national image by virtue of its publicity;Serves the overall interests of China’s diplomacy by virtue of its instrumentality as a tool.