01/16/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 01/16/2021 00:14 Rise to the Challenges, Serve the Nation and Embark on a New Journey for Major-Country Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics Wang Yi The People's Republic of China Ⅰ In 2020, our world went through a pandemic and global changes, both of a scale unseen in a century. It was truly an extraordinary year for both China and the world. Over the past year, the momentum of human progress suffered a setback and humanity faced consequential choices. COVID-19 caught us all by surprise. It threatened lives and public health across the world. People's livelihood and well-being was hit hard by the ensuing economic recession. In an increasingly fluid and changing world, anachronistic practices of unilateralism and protectionism were on the rise, driven by resurgent power politics and Cold War mentality.