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Peaceful development core of foreign policy

By Yu Sui (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-01-09 07:39

In tandem with its domestic policy transitions, China's diplomatic ideology has undergone profound changes since the country's initiation of the reform and opening up policy in 1978.

Now a set of complete and full-fledged foreign policies has taken shape with the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as the cornerstone. Under the guidance of the five principles, the country has followed an independent foreign policy of peace to pursue peaceful cooperation and mutual benefit with other world members. The ultimate goal for resorting to a peaceful development path and the win-win formula is to forge lasting peace and common prosperity with the rest of the world.

The country's diplomatic ideology has always advanced with the changing times, with reasonable and applicable elements reserved, developed and carried forward. Originally laid out by China in 1953, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were applied first by the newly founded socialist country and its neighbors, India and Myanmar, the next year to settle territorial disputes. The five principles refer to mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.

As the norms that have since guided the country's international relations, the creation of the five principles was a direct reflection of the common aspiration of the many newly liberated nations across Asia, Africa and Latin America. The aim was to maintain their hard-won independence and sovereignty and build a new international order in the wake of the collapse of colonialism after the end of World War II.

Coinciding with the then emerging signs of peace and development as the theme of the times, the five principles embodied a joint wisdom of new regimes in their effort to fend off outside aggression.

Co-founder of the universally recognized international norms, China has unceasingly made new developments and innovations on the basis of the five principles. Adhering to an independent foreign policy of peace, the country has been pursuing the ambition of harmonious society of its own and a peaceful cooperation with the rest of the world. It has also been pursuing good-neighborly relations and reciprocal cooperation with surrounding countries.

In the spirit of such principles, the country has continuously strengthened its friendly and cooperative ties with many countries, ranging from building partnership to forging a deeper strategic and cooperative partnership and the all-round cooperative partnership.

An ancient nation with a long history and culture, China has also injected its long-cherished traditions and appealing cultural elements into its diplomatic policy.

For a long time in its civilization, such tenets as "harmony is valuable", "live in harmony and value the others' differences" as well as "people first", have been valued by Chinese people and widely observed and implemented in society. All these amicable traits, together with others, have contributed a lot to the country's unremitting efforts to develop a peaceful and independent foreign policy and to constitute a harmonious international community.

China has long been devoted to developing friendly relations with all countries. On its diplomatic chessboard, different countries have taken a different strategic position, with developing a good relationship with neighboring nations playing a prime role in the country's diplomatic strategy. It has also valued the status of major powers, considering ties with them as the key to handling its foreign affairs. At the same time, maintaining a friendly relationship with developing nations has long been believed to be the foundation of the country's foreign policy. It has been a long tradition that the world's largest developing country and other developing nations support each other in the international arena.

The country has developed an all-dimensional diplomatic formula in the hope of creating a peaceful, stable and friendly international and surrounding environment for its national security and an expanded cooperation with the rest of the world on an equal footing. It has shown an increasing willingness to engage into multilateral activities from the previous focus on ties with developing countries.

It has established a path for peaceful development. For this purpose, the country should forge for itself an ideal surrounding and international environment and should try to avoid any internal and external turbulences and confrontations for the sake of building a moderately prosperous society. With its influence growing in the international community, China should play a bigger role to realize world peace and human progress, a goal long advocated by its leaders. The country's unswerving adherence to the peaceful development path will not be changed, given that this is decided by the fundamental interests of the Chinese people, its socialist nature and the central themes of the world.

China's development is inseparable from the world's as proved by facts. As the country's political and economic influence increases in the international arena and its integration into global affairs is expected, the world also cannot do without a powerful China.

A booming China has offered great opportunities to other countries. Compared with the "China threat" refrain that was trumpeted by some countries a few years ago, the "China opportunity" theory has gradually gained ground worldwide despite occasional resurfacing of piercing criticisms about the country.

Chinese leaders have always reaffirmed the country's commitment to realizing a lasting and peaceful world where all enjoy common prosperity. That, in line with the country's goal of building a harmonious world, also serves the fundamental interest of its own.

The author is a researcher with the Research Center of Contemporary World

(China Daily 01/09/2009 page8)