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2014 marks the 60th anniversary of the proclamation of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Over the past six decades， all generations of the Chinese leadership have regarded the principles as the most valuable diplomatic tradition. They have also become widely accepted by the international community as pivotal norms of international relations.
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were raised just a few years after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. After the birth of New China， the country faced huge challenges as it found itself caught between the two nuclear powers of the United States and the Soviet Union. China’s original intent in raising the concept was to rise above the ideological strife of the two camps， find friendship， seek peace and safeguard national independence. The five principles have helped China distinguish its foreign policy from the hegemonic strategy of the United States and the Soviet Union， laying the moral and legal foundation for China to establish a foothold in the world.
Without these principles， there would be no friendly cooperation between China and other developing countries. China’s return to the UN as well as the settlement of border disputes with many neighboring countries would not have been achieved， either. Moreover， without the principles， China would not have been able to grow into its current status.
Enduring relevance
Since it adopted the reform and opening-up policy in the late 1970s， China’s foreign policy focus has shifted from revolutionary diplomacy to peace diplomacy. Having moved past the point of merely seeking survival and development space， it has set out to strengthen economic cooperation and integrate itself into the global system. However， China remains a developing country that often faces pressing challenges due to foreign interference. As such， it has consistently upheld the value of its independence.
China’s current leadership continues to uphold this historic legacy as it speaks highly of the significance of the principles. At a study session of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee in January 2013， only a few months after the Party’s leadership transition， newly elected General Secretary Xi Jinping said that China has proposed and adhered to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence， and made a solemn commitment to never seeking hegemony， adding that the country will unswervingly uphold these principles and commitments. At the same time， the Chinese leadership understands that the world today is no longer that of 60 years ago. It is now a world of political multi-polarization and economic globalization. As an emerging major power， China inevitably is participating more and more in international affairs. The question for the Chinese Government now is how to creatively inherit the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to ensure they align with the new global situation and China’s national interests.
The question of whether the five principles are still applicable today has long been debated among China’s academic circle as well as the public. Many claimed that “non-interference in internal affairs” is already outmoded， and have expressed hope that China would exert its influence to defend its national interests when the domestic crisis of a foreign country threatens China or a foreign country’s domestic policy damages China’s interests. Several renowned Chinese scholars have proposed the concepts of “creative intervention” and“constructive involvement，” suggesting China increase its voice on international affairs.
The Chinese authorities believe that the argument is centered on the concept of national sovereignty. The traditional principles of independence are being challenged by globalization， unilateralism and the idea that human rights take precedence over sovereignty. Moreover， global issues such as climate change， terrorism and human dignity require countries to forge international consensus. However， it should be acknowledged that despite these developments， nation-states remain major actors in international politics， and sovereignty still embodies and guarantees national interests.
Other Asian countries that initiated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence together with China—including India and Myanmar—also see these principles as having universal value. Developing countries know that in order to safeguard their rights to development in a world marked by “social Darwinism，” they cannot give up the supremacy of state sovereignty. They must firmly support the principles of equality of all countries and consensus through consultation in the current global governance system.
Chinese leaders are soberly aware of China’s current comprehensive strength. While they stress making full use of the country’s increasing power to safeguard its national interests， they understand that there are still serious bottlenecks for China’s development. In the meantime， China’s reunification， territorial integrity， national unity and development path are facing multiple external challenges. The security situation of neighboring countries also poses potential threats to China’s national security. Therefore， China should focus on domestic reform and development and never abuse its diplomatic resources or practice diplomatic activities that infringe upon other countries’ sovereignty. What China needs to do is to enrich and develop the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence， making the principles a banner for promoting common development， safeguarding international security， respecting diversity of world civilizations， strengthening multilateralism and pushing for democracy in international relations. Diplomatic practice
The Chinese Government doesn’t want to become mired in the debate. Instead， it is willing to accumulate experience in practice， make adjustments， and increase its influence on the domestic and foreign policies of surrounding countries and participation in international affairs.
The Korean Peninsula situation is deeply connected with China’s strategic security interests. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un， after taking power in 2011， took a tough stance on both domestic affairs and foreign policies. Despite international opposition， Kim conducted his country’s third nuclear test in 2013， further deteriorating relations with the international community and further complicating China’s surrounding environment. China first tried to persuade Pyongyang to continue dialogue with other parties. Later， while maintaining regular working-level communication and normal economic and trade contacts， Beijing temporarily closed the door to top-level official visits with Pyongyang and earnestly implemented the UN sanctions on North Korea. However， China didn’t give up its efforts to bring North Korea back into dialogue. Since February， China has sent Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin and Wu Dawei， the country’s special representative for Korean Peninsula affairs， to visit Pyongyang， in an attempt to restart the long-stalled six-party talks as well as urging Pyongyang to improve its relations with other countries and focus on economic development.
As for the current Ukrainian crisis， China’s stance is crucial as it keeps strategic partnerships with all the parties concerned—Ukraine， Russia， the European Union and the United States. The annexation of Crimea by Russia has undermined the sovereignty of Ukraine， which goes against China’s long-held diplomatic principles. However， China believes that there are complex historical and practical reasons for the move. The U.S.-led NATO enlargement under the Cold War mentality， which extrudes the strategic space of Russia， is actually the blasting fuse of the tensions. Under these circumstances， China chooses not to take sides but promotes peace talks. China’s proposal of setting up an international coordination mechanism for political settlement of the crisis has won the understanding and respect of all parties.
Regarding Sino-U.S. relations， one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world， China’s top leaders have called for building a new type of major-power relationship between the two countries. This new-type relationship aims to ensure the sound and stable development of Sino-U.S. relations. Featuring non-confrontation， non-conflict， mutual respect and win-win cooperation， the vision can help the two countries to avoid a possible lose-lose situation resulting from competition between the emerging power and the established power. To an extent， the notion of new-type major-power relations is the extension and development of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in handling big power relations， which will surely have a far-reaching influence on international relations.
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were raised just a few years after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. After the birth of New China， the country faced huge challenges as it found itself caught between the two nuclear powers of the United States and the Soviet Union. China’s original intent in raising the concept was to rise above the ideological strife of the two camps， find friendship， seek peace and safeguard national independence. The five principles have helped China distinguish its foreign policy from the hegemonic strategy of the United States and the Soviet Union， laying the moral and legal foundation for China to establish a foothold in the world.
Without these principles， there would be no friendly cooperation between China and other developing countries. China’s return to the UN as well as the settlement of border disputes with many neighboring countries would not have been achieved， either. Moreover， without the principles， China would not have been able to grow into its current status.
Enduring relevance
Since it adopted the reform and opening-up policy in the late 1970s， China’s foreign policy focus has shifted from revolutionary diplomacy to peace diplomacy. Having moved past the point of merely seeking survival and development space， it has set out to strengthen economic cooperation and integrate itself into the global system. However， China remains a developing country that often faces pressing challenges due to foreign interference. As such， it has consistently upheld the value of its independence.
China’s current leadership continues to uphold this historic legacy as it speaks highly of the significance of the principles. At a study session of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee in January 2013， only a few months after the Party’s leadership transition， newly elected General Secretary Xi Jinping said that China has proposed and adhered to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence， and made a solemn commitment to never seeking hegemony， adding that the country will unswervingly uphold these principles and commitments. At the same time， the Chinese leadership understands that the world today is no longer that of 60 years ago. It is now a world of political multi-polarization and economic globalization. As an emerging major power， China inevitably is participating more and more in international affairs. The question for the Chinese Government now is how to creatively inherit the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to ensure they align with the new global situation and China’s national interests.
The question of whether the five principles are still applicable today has long been debated among China’s academic circle as well as the public. Many claimed that “non-interference in internal affairs” is already outmoded， and have expressed hope that China would exert its influence to defend its national interests when the domestic crisis of a foreign country threatens China or a foreign country’s domestic policy damages China’s interests. Several renowned Chinese scholars have proposed the concepts of “creative intervention” and“constructive involvement，” suggesting China increase its voice on international affairs.
The Chinese authorities believe that the argument is centered on the concept of national sovereignty. The traditional principles of independence are being challenged by globalization， unilateralism and the idea that human rights take precedence over sovereignty. Moreover， global issues such as climate change， terrorism and human dignity require countries to forge international consensus. However， it should be acknowledged that despite these developments， nation-states remain major actors in international politics， and sovereignty still embodies and guarantees national interests.
Other Asian countries that initiated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence together with China—including India and Myanmar—also see these principles as having universal value. Developing countries know that in order to safeguard their rights to development in a world marked by “social Darwinism，” they cannot give up the supremacy of state sovereignty. They must firmly support the principles of equality of all countries and consensus through consultation in the current global governance system.
Chinese leaders are soberly aware of China’s current comprehensive strength. While they stress making full use of the country’s increasing power to safeguard its national interests， they understand that there are still serious bottlenecks for China’s development. In the meantime， China’s reunification， territorial integrity， national unity and development path are facing multiple external challenges. The security situation of neighboring countries also poses potential threats to China’s national security. Therefore， China should focus on domestic reform and development and never abuse its diplomatic resources or practice diplomatic activities that infringe upon other countries’ sovereignty. What China needs to do is to enrich and develop the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence， making the principles a banner for promoting common development， safeguarding international security， respecting diversity of world civilizations， strengthening multilateralism and pushing for democracy in international relations. Diplomatic practice
The Chinese Government doesn’t want to become mired in the debate. Instead， it is willing to accumulate experience in practice， make adjustments， and increase its influence on the domestic and foreign policies of surrounding countries and participation in international affairs.
The Korean Peninsula situation is deeply connected with China’s strategic security interests. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un， after taking power in 2011， took a tough stance on both domestic affairs and foreign policies. Despite international opposition， Kim conducted his country’s third nuclear test in 2013， further deteriorating relations with the international community and further complicating China’s surrounding environment. China first tried to persuade Pyongyang to continue dialogue with other parties. Later， while maintaining regular working-level communication and normal economic and trade contacts， Beijing temporarily closed the door to top-level official visits with Pyongyang and earnestly implemented the UN sanctions on North Korea. However， China didn’t give up its efforts to bring North Korea back into dialogue. Since February， China has sent Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin and Wu Dawei， the country’s special representative for Korean Peninsula affairs， to visit Pyongyang， in an attempt to restart the long-stalled six-party talks as well as urging Pyongyang to improve its relations with other countries and focus on economic development.
As for the current Ukrainian crisis， China’s stance is crucial as it keeps strategic partnerships with all the parties concerned—Ukraine， Russia， the European Union and the United States. The annexation of Crimea by Russia has undermined the sovereignty of Ukraine， which goes against China’s long-held diplomatic principles. However， China believes that there are complex historical and practical reasons for the move. The U.S.-led NATO enlargement under the Cold War mentality， which extrudes the strategic space of Russia， is actually the blasting fuse of the tensions. Under these circumstances， China chooses not to take sides but promotes peace talks. China’s proposal of setting up an international coordination mechanism for political settlement of the crisis has won the understanding and respect of all parties.
Regarding Sino-U.S. relations， one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world， China’s top leaders have called for building a new type of major-power relationship between the two countries. This new-type relationship aims to ensure the sound and stable development of Sino-U.S. relations. Featuring non-confrontation， non-conflict， mutual respect and win-win cooperation， the vision can help the two countries to avoid a possible lose-lose situation resulting from competition between the emerging power and the established power. To an extent， the notion of new-type major-power relations is the extension and development of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in handling big power relations， which will surely have a far-reaching influence on international relations.