The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence must be strengthened in order to continue the pursuit of a just and fair world order, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday when addressing a luncheon in Beijing marking the 70th anniversary since the principles were first laid out.
Initially put forth by then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai seven decades ago, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence are "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."
China hosted a series of commemorative events on Friday to mark the anniversary, including a conference, parallel forums and a luncheon.
In an address at the luncheon, Wang highlighted the enduring impact of the Five Principles in regulating state-to-state relations and in transcending social systems and ideologies for most countries in the world.
He said representatives of various countries are being invited to exchange wisdom on how to promote the Principles and establish a more reasonable international order in the common interests of humanity.
"From the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to building a community with a shared future for mankind, what is unchanged is China's responsibilities for world peace and development. What has remained is the pursuit of a just and fair world order. The Five Principles cannot be weakened but strengthened. China will inject more impetus into the common development and unity and cooperation of the Global South," Wang said.
Since first being put forward, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have become prominent on the international stage.
In 1955, more than 20 Asian and African countries attended the Bandung Conference in Indonesia. They proposed ten principles for handling state-to-state relations on the basis of the Five Principles, and advocated the Bandung spirit of solidarity, friendship and cooperation. The Non-Aligned Movement that rose in the 1960s adopted the Five Principles as its guiding principles.
The Declaration on Principles of International Law adopted at the 25th 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 UNGA Session in 1974 both endorsed the Five Principles.
With their inclusion in important international documents, the Five Principles have been widely recognized and observed by the international community.
Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence must be strengthened, not weakened: FM
