BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping attended and delivered an important speech at the Conference Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence on Friday in Beijing.
Xi said 70 years ago, national independence and liberation movements swept across the globe, and the colonial system around the world crumbled and collapsed. At the same time, the world was overshadowed by the dark clouds of the Cold War and menaced by the rampant clamors that “might is right.” Newly independent countries aspired to safeguard their sovereignty and grow their national economy.
The Chinese leadership specified the Five Principles in their entirety for the first time, namely, mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence. They included the Five Principles in the China-India and China-Myanmar joint statements, which jointly called for making them basic norms for state-to-state relations, Xi said.
“Over the past 70 years, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have transcended time and space and overcome estrangement, showing robust resilience and everlasting relevance. They have become open, inclusive, and universally applicable basic norms for international relations and fundamental principles of international law,” Xi said.
He added that they have set a historic benchmark for international relations and international rule of law, served as the prime guidance for the establishment and development of relations between countries with different social systems, been a powerful rallying force behind the efforts of developing countries to pursue cooperation and self-strength through unity, contributed historic wisdom to the reform and improvement of the international order, and made indelible historic contributions to the cause of human progress.
Xi stressed that today, challenged by the historic question of “what kind of world to build and how to build it,” China has answered the call of the times by proposing a community with a shared future for mankind.
Noting that the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind carries forward the same spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, Xi said the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind is the most effective move to sustain, promote and upgrade the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in the new circumstances.
The vision sets a new model of equality and coexistence for international relations, responds to the world’s prevailing trend of peace, development, cooperation and win-win, and inspires new ways to achieve development and security, he added.
“At this historic moment when mankind have to choose between peace and war, prosperity and recession, unity and confrontation, we must champion more than ever the essence of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and we must always strive tirelessly for the lofty goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind,” he said.
Xi called on the world to uphold the principle of sovereign equality, cement the foundation of mutual respect, turn the vision for peace and security into reality, unite all forces to achieve prosperity, commit to fairness and justice, and embrace an open and inclusive mindset.
Of all the forces in the world, the Global South stands out with a strong momentum, playing a vital role in promoting human progress, Xi said, adding that standing at a new historical starting point, the Global South should be more open and more inclusive, and join hands together to take the lead in building a community with a shared future for mankind.
He called on the Global South to be the staunch force for peace, the core driving force for open development, the construction team of global governance, and the advocates for exchange among civilizations.
To better support Global South cooperation, Xi announced that China will establish a Global South research center, provide 1,000 scholarships under the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Scholarship of Excellence and 100,000 training opportunities to Global South countries in the coming five years, and also launch a Global South youth leaders program.
Noting that the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have been written into China’s Constitution long before, and are the bedrock of China’s independent foreign policy of peace, Xi said that China will continue to champion the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, work with all countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind, and make new and greater contributions to safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.
Around 600 people including former leaders of Vietnam, Myanmar and other countries, representatives of international and regional organizations, diplomatic envoys from more than 100 countries, Chinese and foreign experts and scholars, and media and business representatives attended the conference.
