Beijing, Nov 10 (IANS): China's new leaders will face a challenging foreign affairs, said a state-run daily which quoted an expert as stressing that the "present conflicts are not due to mistakes in China's diplomacy".

Global Times said that China's next generation of leadership is doomed to face a much bumpier and more challenging decade in terms of foreign affairs.

The state-run daily quoted analysts as saying that the diplomatic skills of China's new leaders will be tested not only because of increasing incidents of conflict overseas, but also the need for a comprehensive and straightforward national strategy that can guide the country beyond the once in a decade leadership transition.

"China is entering a vital period of transition," said John Ross, a visiting professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

"Provided that no large policy mistakes are made by the new Chinese leadership, in five to seven years, the country's GDP will become the world's largest. However, it will not at that time become the strongest," Ross said.

The new Chinese top leaders must "make sure that people and governments of other countries understand China's growth is a 'win-win' for them and will aid their own prosperity" while maintaining rapid economic growth in the country, Ross told the Global Times.

The ongoing 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will see a once-in-a-decade leadership transition in one of the world's most powerful economies.

"The China-US relationship is always the top topic in China's foreign affairs," said a Chinese strategist from the military.

"Now the Chinese and the US governments have very few problems in communication, but mutual understanding of the two countries' people, especially mutual respect for each other's political system, is a problem that needs to be worked on," the strategist said.

"The next generation of Chinese leaders should further consolidate China's economic footing in the world, avoid slipping into an ideological conflict with the US, and not seek to challenge the US leading role in terms of military," he added.

Qu Xing, head of the China Institute of International Studies, said he believes that the new leaders need "diplomatic skills and art" in handling the frictions with neighbouring countries that have territorial issues with China.