Remarks by H.E. Wang Yi At the Luncheon Marking the 70th Anniversary Of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence

Remarks by H.E. Wang Yi

At the Luncheon Marking the 70th Anniversary

Of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence

Beijing, June 28, 2024

Distinguished Guests,
Dear Friends,

As we mark the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, I am delighted to join friends from across the world in the commemorative conference. I see so many familiar faces. You are all old friends of the Chinese people. You have witnessed, participated in and contributed to the formulation and practice of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Let me start by extending to all of you a warm welcome and heartfelt gratitude.

This morning, President Xi Jinping addressed the commemorative conference with important remarks. He expounded on the essence of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and their relevance for our times, pointed the direction for building a community with a shared future for mankind amid major global transformation, and voiced a strong message of the Global South to work with people around the world for a better future. The remarks are of profound and far-reaching significance, as we draw on the historical wisdom of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and build consensus and form synergy for tackling the tough challenges the world faces today.

Decades ago, the Chinese leadership together with India and Myanmar, advocated the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. It conformed to the trend for national independence and liberation in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and answered the very important question of how to handle state-to-state relations. Today, we have come to a new historical juncture. With the intertwined destinies of countries and the shared and fundamental interests of all peoples in mind, President Xi Jinping put forward the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, providing a new answer to what kind of world to build and how to build it. This is the best way to inherit, advance and enrich the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence under new circumstances. As President Xi Jinping puts it, the baton of history is passed from generation to generation, and the cause of human progress moves forward from one era to another as mankind seek answers to the questions of the times.

From the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to building a community with a shared future for mankind, we have remained consistent in the exploration for new ways of state-to-state relations. Seventy years ago, China and other brotherly developing countries rejected power politics and hegemonism by upholding respect for sovereignty; we transcended the law of the jungle by pursuing equality and mutual benefit; and together we forged the norms of international relations where countries, Eastern or Western, regardless of their size or strength, must respect each other and treat each other as equals. Seventy years on, common challenges, interests and responsibilities have linked the future of all countries more closely together. It has fallen upon us to pursue harmony on the basis of peaceful coexistence, and to build a new type of international relations with win-win cooperation at the core. This is how we can take a historical step forward to helping each other succeed and working together for this one and only planet Earth where our shared future depends.

From the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to building a community with a shared future for mankind, we have remained committed to our responsibility in upholding world peace and development. Seventy years ago, peace-loving people from different parts of the world drew on the lessons of hot wars, defied the shadows of the Cold War, rose in resistance against external aggression, suppression and interference, and stood by peaceful means of dispute resolution. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence offered them guidance in promoting world peace and development. Seventy years on, the world is faced with critical choices of unity and cooperation versus division and confrontation, mutual benefit versus zero-sum game, and common security versus turbulence and warfare. China has been ready to work with all sides to honor our responsibility for history and for the people to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity, implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, hold high the banner of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and take a historical step forward to building a common homeland for humanity.

From the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to building a community with a shared future for mankind, we have remained steadfast in pursuing a just and equitable international order. Over the past seven decades, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have grown from an international consensus to a principle in international law, and from a norm in state-to-state relations to an important guideline for the international political and economic order, a development that amplifies the force for justice and progress of humanity. Seventy years on, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence must be strengthened, not weakened; multilateralism must be upheld, not undermined; and the process toward greater democracy in international relations must move forward, not backward. For all that to happen, we must keep the future of humanity in mind, promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and take a historical step forward to conducting global governance featuring extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit.

Daily gains contribute to monthly progress; small steps add up to a thousand miles. Over the decades, we have witnessed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence expanding from bilateral to multilateral, from Asia to the world. Going forward, the great cause of building a community with a shared future for mankind cannot do without the support and participation of all progressive forces in the world; it requires the Global South to stay ahead of the historical trend. As President Xi Jinping proposed, the Global South needs to carry out open and inclusive cooperation. Together, we should be the staunch force for peace. Together, we should be the core driving force for open development. Together, we should be the construction team of global governance. Together, we should be the advocates for exchange among civilizations. We can make new contributions to strengthening South-South cooperation, promoting North-South cooperation, and furthering human progress.

The eight measures in support of Global South cooperation unveiled by President Xi Jinping speak to China’s unwavering commitment to standing with all countries of the South through thick and thin and advancing the development and vitalization of the Global South. China will work with all sides to deliver on these measures and give a stronger boost to the common development, unity and cooperation of the Global South.

Friends,

The implementation of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence is an ongoing process. So is the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. China stands ready to work with all countries through greater unity, cooperation, communication and understanding to meet global challenges and build a beautiful world together.

Let us cement the foundation of friendship and cooperation with mutual respect. It is important to uphold the sovereign equality of all countries and oppose the big and strong bullying the small and weak. All countries need to find their place and play their role in the multipolar system. China will stay on the right path of peaceful development and reject attempts to divide the world by forming camps or small blocs.

Let us foster a pattern of universal security with joint contribution for shared benefit. We need to uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and we need to stay committed to settling disputes through dialogue, resolving differences through consultation, and enhancing security through cooperation. On its part, China will follow a distinctly Chinese way of addressing hot spot issues and play a constructive role in safeguarding peace and security.

Let us promote a wave of development and prosperity with opening up and cooperation. We need to stand for and advance a universally beneficial economic globalization, so that people around the world can share in the benefits of development. China will expand high-standard opening up, roll out major measures to further deepen reforms in all respects, and provide global modernization with more opportunities through new progress in Chinese modernization.

Let us open up new vistas for human civilization with inclusiveness and mutual learning. We need to encourage equal-footed dialogue, exchange and mutual learning among civilizations, enhance understanding and affinity among people of all countries, and make humanity’s common values a truly international consensus accepted and followed by all.

Let us steer the future of global governance with fairness and justice. We need to uphold true multilateralism, defend the authority and role of the United Nations, follow the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, and continue to increase the representation and voice of the developing countries. We need to support the Summit of the Future in adopting a Pact for the Future that reflects the trend of our times.

Friends,

One learns from the past in order to understand the future, and follows the right path to go far. As the host of the commemorations, China will issue a Beijing Declaration as a reflection of the insights and important common understandings of all sides. Proceeding from this new historical milestone, China will continue to work with all sides to carry forward the essence of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, shoulder the responsibility of building a community with a shared future for mankind, and make unremitting efforts toward a brighter future of humanity. Thank you!