China’s party diplomacy in play as communist leaders gather for military parade

The past week has been a flurry of not only state-level diplomacy but also party-to-party outreach, with President Xi Jinping receiving a series of leaders from the four remaining communist countries on a single day.

While Beijing has no interest in promoting a communist international movement as the Soviet Union did during the Cold War, party-to-party interactions remain an important part of China’s diplomatic strategy – particularly with communist parties.

The Communist Party’s International Department – the party’s diplomatic branch – is central to Beijing’s dealings with these leaders and their ruling communist parties, with the department’s director usually sitting by Xi’s side in these bilateral meetings.

The ministerial-level department has established connections with more than 600 parties in other countries over the years and has become a key diplomatic channel for China, according to state media.

It has played an increasingly active role in recent years, becoming a vehicle to ramp up diplomatic engagement with the Middle East, for instance.