On June 28th, the Conference Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence was held in Beijing. Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the conference and delivered an important speech. Four sub-forums focusing respectively on the Contemporary Value of Asian Wisdom, the Vision and Mission of the Global South in a Shifting Landscape, Contributing to Global Prosperity through Chinese Modernization, and Promoting Global Governance Featuring Extensive Consultation and Joint Contribution for Shared Benefits were held subsequently.
President Xi Jinping emphasized that China’s resolve to stay on the path of peaceful development will not change, China’s resolve to develop friendship and cooperation with all countries will not change, and China’s resolve to promote common development across the world will not change.
President Xi Jinping noted that 70 years ago, 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. These principles have since been incorporated into a series of important international documents and widely recognized and observed by the international community.
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.
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. They have been a powerful rallying force behind the efforts of developing countries to pursue cooperation and self-strength through unity. They have contributed historic wisdom to the reform and improvement of the international order.
President Xi Jinping stated that the past 70 years have proved time and again that an effective way for countries to meet challenges together and create a better future is to enhance unity, cooperation, communication and understanding. Of all the forces in the world, the Global South stands out with a strong momentum, playing a vital role in promoting human progress. 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.
President Xi Jinping announced that to better support Global South cooperation, China will establish a Global South research center. It will 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.
It will also launch a Global South youth leaders program. China will continue to make good use of the China-UN Peace and Development Fund, the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, and the Climate Change South-South Cooperation Fund, and will work with interested parties to set up a tripartite center of excellence for the implementation of the Global Development Initiative to facilitate growth in Global South countries.
It will renew the China-IFAD South-South and Triangular Cooperation Facility, and make an additional Renminbi contribution equivalent to US$10 million to be used to support agricultural development of the Global South. China is ready to discuss free trade arrangements with more Global South countries, continue to support the WTO’s Aid for Trade initiative, and renew its contribution to the WTO’s China Program. It welcomes more Global South countries to join the Initiative on International Trade and Economic Cooperation Framework for Digital Economy and Green Development.
China is an active advocate and steadfast practitioner of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. In the over 70 years Since the founding of New China, the country has pursued an independent foreign policy of peace and adhered to the path of peaceful development. It never started a war, never occupied one inch of foreign land. China is the only country in the world that includes in its Constitution the commitment to the path of peaceful development, and China is the only country among the major nuclear-weapon states that is committed to no first-use of nuclear weapons.
China advocates work closely to build an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity. President Xi Jinping has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, providing Chinese solutions for improving global governance and addressing human development challenges.
China and Saudi Arabia are both important forces in maintaining world peace and stability, maintaining close communication and good cooperation on international and regional issues. Both countries are committed to promoting peaceful settlement of international disputes, and participate constructively in the political settlement of international and regional hotspot issues. Both countries are the construction team of global governance, actively participate in reforming and developing the global governance system, expand the common interests of all sides, and make the global governance architecture more balanced and effective.
China is willing to work with all countries, including Saudi Arabia, to champion the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, through implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, in order to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind, pushing the world towards a future of peace, security, prosperity, and progress.
