中文
By Wang Yiwei
In his speech at the conference marking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, President Xi Jinping emphasized: "The Vision of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind carries forward the same spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence."
President Xi said: "Today we gather here to commemorate its 70th anniversary for the purpose of carrying forward these principles under the new circumstances, building together a community with a shared future for mankind, and providing a strong driving force for human progress." He also stated: "The Vision of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind is the most effective move to sustain, promote and upgrade the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in the new circumstances."
President Xi's speech explained the core meaning of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and how they apply to the current world situation. He also provided guidance on promotion of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind amid the geopolitical shifts and shared challenges confronting the international community. His remarks are of profound and far-reaching significance as nations draw on the historical wisdom of the Five Principles above to build consensus and cooperate in addressing today's global challenges.
The Five Principles answered the call of the times, and its initiation was an inevitable historic development. In the wake of the Second World War, national independence and liberation movements swept across the globe, and the colonial system around the world crumbled and collapsed. At the same time, the world was overshadowed by the dark clouds of the Cold War and menaced by the rampant clamors that "Might is right." Newly independent countries aspired to safeguard their sovereignty and grow their national economy. New China followed the principle of independence, actively sought peaceful coexistence with all countries, and endeavored to improve its external environment, especially in its neighborhood. Against this backdrop, 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. They included the Five Principles in the China-India and China-Myanmar joint statements, which jointly called for making them basic norms for state-to-state relations.
The Five Principles are essential for establishing normal relations and promoting cooperation among nations. They have gained widespread acceptance from the majority of countries, emerging as a critical benchmark for conducting international relations. Mirroring the Chinese cultural tradition that cherishes peace and harmony, encourages empathy and understanding, and advocates for universal love and non-aggression, these principles constitute the bedrock of China's independent foreign policy of peace.
Like the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the Vision of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind originated from China but belongs to the world. The white paper released by the Chinese government on Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind states that China's rich traditional culture, embodying the essence of Chinese civilization, offers valuable perspectives that can help us comprehend and shape the world, tackle current challenges, and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Harmony is the core concept of Chinese culture, which prioritizes harmony and unity within diversity, strives for harmony and solidarity in the pursuit of shared progress, and embraces cultural diversity and global harmony. The Chinese nation believes all countries form a single community, advocating for peace and equality among nations. It supports a principle of international relations where stronger nations do not dominate weaker ones, and wealthier countries do not demean poorer ones. China aims for a world built on fairness and justice for all.
The Chinese nation champions universal kindness and believes in supporting the virtuous. It encourages being a good neighbor with sincerity and goodwill, and pursues the greater good and shared interests, with higher priority given to the former. It observes the rule that "to establish oneself, one must help others establish themselves first; to succeed, one must help others succeed first," believing that helping others is helping oneself. It also upholds the principle "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself" and refrains from imposing its will on other nations. It acts on the belief that humans are part of nature, following the old saying: "Fish with a line, not a net; when hunting birds, do not target those that are resting." China respects natural laws, values the environment, and pursues harmony between humans and nature.
The rise of the Global South and other worldwide changes have sparked four major trends: a shift toward multi-polarization in international relations, increased economic globalization and regional integration, growing cooperation in addressing global challenges, and enhanced cultural exchanges among diverse civilizations.
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Vision of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind offer important theoretical and practical guidance for addressing these trends. The two concepts build on past achievements while opening new possibilities for the future. They also share deep connections in their origins, spirit, and vision.
The Vision of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind is rooted in traditional Chinese culture and China's modern diplomatic practices. It inherits the essence of the Five Principles while further developing them to address new global challenges.
Both concepts uphold values of mutual respect, equality, and win-win cooperation. They promote peaceful coexistence, mutual benefit, and shared development among nations, while advocating for new types of international relations and global governance.
The Vision of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind builds on the philosophical wisdom and practical experience of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. However, it also has its own unique features that address current global changes and challenges. It emphasizes the common interests and shared future of all countries, highlights the importance of addressing global challenges through cooperation, and promotes the vision of harmony without uniformity and common prosperity among different civilizations.
As the world undergoes profound changes unseen in a century, these concepts offer important guidance and practical approaches for creating new forms of international relations and governance. Their goal is to promote global peace, stability, and shared progress for all nations.
Wang Yiwei is director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China.
This article has been translated and edited from the original Chinese version, which can be found at http://www.qstheory.cn/dukan/hqwg/2024-07/14/c_1130179400.htm.
In the event of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese versions, the Chinese text shall prevail.
