This year marks the 70th anniversary of the publication of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. On June 28, the 70th anniversary of the publication of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, and President Xi Jinping attended and delivered an important speech entitled "Promoting the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and Working Together to Build a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind".
"Seventy years ago, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were officially promulgated, which became a great innovation in the history of international relations and of epoch-making significance." President Xi Jinping spoke highly of the far-reaching significance of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and solemnly put forward the proposition and initiative of promoting the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and working together to build a community with a shared future for mankind under the new situation, sending out a strong message of the times to create a better future with all countries in the world.
Learn from the past and know the future. By holding up the telescope of history and looking back at the era when the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were born, we can better understand the spiritual connotation and value of the Five Principles, draw historical wisdom from them, and take a good path forward.
One
The establishment of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence is the call of the times and the choice of history.
After the end of the Second World War, national independence and liberation movements surged, and the world colonial system collapsed. At the same time, the dark clouds of the Cold War are looming over the world, and "might makes right" rampant. The newly independent new country is eager to safeguard its national sovereignty and develop its national economy.
"My Government is willing to establish diplomatic relations with any foreign Government that is willing to abide by the principles of equality, mutual benefit and respect for territorial sovereignty." Chairman Mao Zedong's solemn proclamation at the founding ceremony expressed to the world the sincere desire of the newly-born People's Republic to uphold independence and actively seek peaceful coexistence with all countries in the world.
In December 1953, in order to develop relations with the newly independent national countries, especially the neighboring independent national countries, the mainland government held talks with India in Beijing on the settlement of the problems left over from the history of the two countries. During his meeting with the Indian delegation, Premier Zhou Enlai proposed for the first time that the problems between the two countries should be resolved in accordance with the principles of mutual respect for territorial sovereignty, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and reciprocity, and peaceful coexistence. The above-mentioned principles were later summarized into the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the expression of which was finally determined after several deliberations: 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.
Although the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were first put forward for the purpose of dealing with the mainland's relations with the independent Asian nations, they soon rose to become the mainland's norms for handling international relations in general.
In June 1954, Premier Zhou Enlai was invited to visit India and Burma, during which he repeatedly expounded on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, emphasizing that countries in the world, regardless of their size, strength or weakness, regardless of their social system, can live in peace as long as they use the Five Principles to handle their relations with each other. On June 28 and 29, China, India and Myanmar issued joint statements, agreeing to take the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as the basic principles guiding their relations and jointly advocating the establishment of the Five Principles as the basic norms guiding inter-state relations.
The call for justice always evokes the widest resonance. "If these principles are applied not only among States, but also in international relations in general, they will form a solid basis for peace and security", and "if these principles are observed by all States, the peaceful coexistence of States with different social systems will be ensured...... The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have quickly attracted global attention and have been widely supported and endorsed by the international community, especially the countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Two
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were born in Asia and are rapidly expanding to the world.
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence conform to the aspirations of Asian countries for peace and independence, and also provide ideas and create conditions for the successful settlement of the Indochina issue at the Geneva Conference. With the active promotion of China, the Geneva Conference finally reached an agreement to restore peace in Indochina, with France withdrawing its troops from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and confirming the national independence of the three countries. The armistice in Indochina once again proved that the power of peace cannot be stopped, as Premier Zhou Enlai pointed out, "there are more and more people in the world who favor the peaceful coexistence of countries with different social systems".
After the Geneva Conference, Chairman Mao Zedong repeatedly talked about the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence when meeting with visiting foreign guests, "We believe that the Five Principles are a long-term policy and are not intended to be dealt with temporarily," and "the Five Principles are also suitable for the situation of the vast majority of countries in Asia and Africa." In Chairman Mao's view, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence should be extended to the relations of all countries, and different systems can coexist peacefully, "only one condition is needed, that is, both sides are willing to coexist."
At the Bandung Conference held in April 1955, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were once again carried forward.
"Today's Asia and Africa are not yesterday's Asia and Africa. Many countries in Asia and Africa have taken their destiny into their own hands after a long period of hard work. Our meeting reflects this profound historical change. Premier Zhou Enlai explained the great historical significance of the Bandung Conference, clearly put forward the principle of "seeking common ground while reserving differences", and profoundly expounded that the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence "can completely become the basis for establishing friendly cooperation and good-neighborly relations among us."
Asian and African countries, which have suffered greatly from colonialism and hegemonism, understand better the preciousness of independence and the significance of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. The delegates at the meeting finally reached a consensus and formed the 10 principles of peaceful coexistence, friendship and cooperation, which not only in fact contain all the contents of the five principles of peaceful coexistence, but also extend and develop the five principles.
Since then, the Non-Aligned Movement, which emerged in the sixties of the twentieth century, has adopted the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as its guiding principles. The Declaration on Principles of International Law, adopted by the General Assembly at its twenty-fifth session in 1970, and the Declaration on the Establishment of a New International Economic Order, adopted by the Sixth Special Session of the General Assembly in 1974, explicitly adopted the five principles. The Five Principles have become increasingly popular among the people, have been enshrined in a series of important international documents, and have been widely recognized by the international community, becoming the basic norms of international relations and international law that are open, inclusive and universally applicable.
Three
Over the past 70 years, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have transcended time and space and barriers, and have endured with resilience and longevity, making indelible historical contributions to the cause of human progress.
The relay of history is running forward one after another, and the cause of human progress is advancing one journey after another in answering the questions of the times. When mankind has once again reached a critical crossroads, facing the major issue of "what kind of world to build and how to build this world", President Xi Jinping has put forward the major concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind with great foresight, pointing out the right direction for the world to move towards a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.
"Today, we are solemnly gathered here to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the publication of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which is to carry forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence under the new situation, work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind, and provide a strong impetus for the progress of human civilization." President Xi Jinping's important speech at the 70th anniversary of the publication of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence is of great and far-reaching significance for us to draw on historical wisdom and gather consensus to solve the problems and challenges of today's world.
-- Comprehensively summarize the "four historical contributions" of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. President Xi Jinping pointed out that the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have set a historical benchmark for international relations and the rule of law, provided correct guidance for countries with different social systems to establish and develop relations, brought together strong synergies for developing countries to unite and cooperate and strengthen themselves, and contributed historical wisdom to the reform and improvement of the international order.
-- Profoundly explain the promotion and sublimation of the "three new" from the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to a community with a shared future for mankind. President Xi Jinping pointed out that the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind is in the same line as the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which is the best way to inherit, promote and sublimate the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence under the new situation. This concept is based on the objective reality that the fate of countries is intertwined and we share weal and woe, and sets a new model of equality and symbiosis. In line with the trend of the times of peace, development, cooperation and win-win, it has opened up a new realm of peace and progress; Focusing on the historical trend of world multipolarization and economic globalization, we have enriched the new practice of development and security.
-- Solemnly put forward the "six propositions" for creating a better future for human society. President Xi Jinping stressed the need to uphold the principle of sovereign equality, consolidate the foundation of mutual respect, realize the vision of peace and security, pool the impetus for building prosperity, uphold the concept of fairness and justice, and show an open and inclusive mind.
-- Actively advocating the "Global South" to jointly become the "four major forces". China and the "Global South" are linked by blood and speak in unison. From the perspective of the overall development of the world, President Xi Jinping advocated that the "Global South" should work together in a more open and inclusive manner, and jointly be a stabilizing force for peace, a backbone for open development, a force for global governance, and a force for promoting mutual learning among civilizations, and be at the forefront of promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
-- Solemnly declaring that China's "three will not change". China has always been a staunch advocate and faithful practitioner of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. How does China get along with the world on its new journey? President Xi Jinping stressed that China's determination to follow the path of peaceful development, friendship and cooperation with other countries will not change, and China's determination to promote common development in the world will not change.
When the implementation of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence is not completed, the building of a community with a shared future for mankind is underway. All countries in the world should work together to carry forward the spiritual connotation of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, shoulder the mission of the times to build a community with a shared future for mankind, and make unremitting efforts to create a better future for mankind.
Source: Qiushi.com
Curator: Kuang Sisi
Production: Xu Huiguan
Review: Li Yanling
Executive Producer: Sue Ying Luo