Xi Jinping and seventy years of the five principles of peaceful coexistence (C. Marino)

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence (heping gongchu wuxian yuanze) represent the cornerstones of the official doctrine of Chinese foreign policy since the 1950s of Zhou Enlai. on the basis of these principles, the People's Republic of China has established diplomatic relations and initiated trade, economic, scientific, technological, cultural and cooperative exchanges with the majority of countries in the world; It resolved border issues with most of its neighbors and maintained peace and stability in its surrounding areas.

On June 28, 2024, during the third plenum on the five principles of peaceful coexistence, Chinese President Xi Jinping modernized and reproposed the famous theses of seventy years ago.

For China, these principles marked a revolutionary and historic result in the history of international relations and today, they want to implement these principles taking into account the new international circumstances and with the desire to build a community with a shared future for mankind and provide a strong driving force for human progress.

President Xi Jinping said: Throughout the modern history of human society, well managing inter-state relations, jointly maintaining global peace and tranquility, and promoting the development and progress of mankind have always been important issues for all nations. The five principles of peaceful coexistence responded to the call of our times and their implementation represented an inevitable historical development. In the aftermath of World War II, national independence and liberation movements spread across the world and the colonial system collapsed and collapsed all over the world. At the same time, the world was shadowed by the dark clouds of the Cold War and threatened by the rampant clamor that right might be right. The newly independent countries aspired to safeguard their sovereignty and develop their national economies. New China has followed the principle of independence by actively seeking peaceful coexistence with all countries and striving to improve its external environment, especially in neighboring countries. In this context, Chinese leaders clarified for the first time the five principles in full, namely mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in internal affairs for everyone, equality and mutual benefit, and peace. coexistence.

The Five Principles were also included in the China-India and China-Myanmar Joint Declarations and, originating in Asia, quickly gained global significance. In 1955, more than twenty Asian and African countries participated in the Bandung Conference, deciding to manage inter-state relations on the basis of these principles and upholding the Bandung spirit of solidarity, friendship and cooperation. The Non-Aligned Movement, which emerged in the 1960s, adopted the Five Principles as its guiding principles. The Declaration on Principles of International Law adopted at the twenty-fifth session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1970 and the Declaration on the Establishment of the New International Economic Order adopted at the sixth special session of the United Nations General Assembly in 1974 endorsed the Five Principles. Through their inclusion in important international documents, the Five Principles have become widely recognized and respected by the international community.

Transcending time and space and demonstrating strong resilience and relevance, they have become open, inclusive and universally applicable fundamental norms for international relations and fundamental principles of international law. As Xi emphasized, they have made an indelible historical contribution to the cause of human progress.

As a historical reference for international relations and the international rule of law, they are fully consistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the development of international relations in our time and the fundamental interests of all nations, and emphasize the importance of reciprocity and equality in managing relations between states, thus highlighting the essence of the international rule of law, that is, the interdependence of the rights, obligations and responsibilities of all countries. The Five Principles provide a set of basic standards for peaceful coexistence between countries in the political, security, economic and diplomatic spheres.

These principles of peaceful coexistence have also served as a guide for the creation and development of relations between countries with different social systems: countries that differ from each other in their social system, ideology, history, culture, faith, stage of development and size can build a relationship of mutual trust, friendship and cooperation. In this way, the politics of blocs and spheres of influence are transcended.

Inspired and encouraged by the Five Principles, more and more countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America have resisted foreign interference and embarked on the path of independent development. The Five Principles also strengthened South-South cooperation and improved and developed North-South relations.

President Xi: After an extraordinary 70-year journey, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence are a common good of the international community that should be cherished, inherited and further promoted. At this moment, I recall with deep admiration the leaders of the older generation who together initiated the Five Principles. I would also like to pay great tribute to the visionaries of all countries who have persistently promoted the Five Principles over the years!

Seventy years later, taking up the challenge posed by the historical question of what kind of world to build and how to build it, China is responding to the call of its times by proposing a community with a shared future for humanity. Today, this Chinese initiative has gained international consensus.

The vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity carries the same spirit of the five principles of peaceful coexistence. Both designs are rooted in traditional Chinese values ​​such as Be Kind to Your Neighbor, Pursue Friendship Through Integrity, and Promote Harmony Among All Nations. Both demonstrate China's diplomatic principles of autonomy, justice, protection of the disadvantaged and benevolence. The vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity is the most effective approach to supporting, promoting and updating the five principles of peaceful coexistence in new circumstances.

This vision reflects the reality that all countries have a common future and closely linked interests and establishes a new model of equality and coexistence for international relations. China believes that all countries, regardless of their size, strength and wealth, are equal members of the international community.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence are centered on the principle of sovereign equality. And on this basis, they promote equal rights, equal opportunities and equal standards for all countries, rejecting the principle that the strong subdue the small, oppress the weak and the rich exploit the poor. For China, a just and orderly multipolar world means that every country can find its place in a multipolar system and play its role in accordance with international law, so that the process of multipolarization is generally stable and constructive.

China supports universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and seeking to realize the Global Development Initiative, which aims to provide development opportunities for all, to diversify development paths, to help all nations share the fruits of development, to encourage common development. the development and prosperity of all countries in the global village, and transform mutual benefits into a solid consensus.

Xi Jinping stressed that in the face of new developments and challenges, the authority and central role of the United Nations should be strengthened rather than weakened. The purposes and principles of the UN Charter have never been outdated and are becoming increasingly important. China upholds the vision of global governance featuring broad consultation and joint contributions for shared benefits, and believes in true multilateralism. Our goal is for international rules to be established and respected by all countries. Global affairs should be managed through broad consultation, not dictated by those with the most power.

China will continue to make good use of the China-UN agreement and commit to the Peace and Development Fund, the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund and the South-South Climate Change Cooperation Fund, and work with stakeholders to establish a tripartite center of excellence for implementing the Global Development Initiative to facilitate growth in the Global South, renew the South-South Cooperation Fund and China-IFAD by providing an additional RMB contribution equivalent to ten million dollars to be used to support agricultural development in the Global South. China is ready to discuss free trade agreements with other countries in the Global South, continue to support the WTO Aid for Trade Initiative and renew its contribution to the WTO China program. The People's Republic of China will also welcome other countries of the South to join the International Trade Initiative and the Economic Cooperation Framework for Digital Economy and Green Development. By 2030, China's imports from other developing countries are expected to exceed $8 trillion.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have been enshrined in the Chinese Constitution and are the foundation of its independent foreign and peace policy. At present, China is striving to build a great modern socialist country in all aspects and realize national rejuvenation along the path of China's modernization.

According to the Chinese leader, China's determination to stay on the path of peaceful development will not change, nor its determination to develop friendship and cooperation with all countries through global partnerships based on equality, openness and cooperation, and will strive to expand interests shared by all countries.

In the speech of the Chinese leader, it was finally emphasized that small courts with high fences and decoupling or decoupling, in economic terms to decorrelate the markets that are engaged in the same sectors, are simply contrary to the course of history and such positions do not. no, they will only harm the common interests of the international community.

Carlo Marino for Eurasiaticanews