Bangladesh, Dec. 30 -- As 2025 draws to a close, Chinas Diplomacy can be read not only as the projection of a “new China,” but also as an attempt to outline a new configuration for the wider world. Over the year, President Xi Jinpings diplomatic engagements increasingly reflected a turning point: a shift toward a more assertive posture as a would-be “global stabilizer,” seeking to balance intensified competition with the West while further institutionalizing Chinas influence across the Global South.

The year was marked by turbulence and transformation. Conflicts intensified, and uncertainty deepened, leaving humanity at a crossroads. Nevertheless, China continued to advance its development agenda, while repeatedly...