International

Beijing DeclarationOf the Conference Marking the 70th AnniversaryOf the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence

On June 28, 2024, the Conference Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence was held in Beijing. President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China attended the conference and delivered an important address. Premier Li Qiang of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China moderated the conference. Former political leaders from countries including Viet Nam, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, the Maldives, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Brazil, Guyana, Japan, Republic of Korea, Italy, France, Croatia and Slovenia, representatives of international/regional organizations, and diplomatic envoys, academics, friends, as well as representatives of the press and the business community from more than 100 countries were present at the conference. The conference issued the Beijing Declaration.

Under the theme of “From the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind” and with four sub-forums focusing respectively on the Contemporary Value of Asian Wisdom, the Vision and Mission of the Global South in a Shifting Landscape, Contributing to Global Prosperity through Chinese Modernization, and Promoting Global Governance Featuring Extensive Consultation and Joint Contribution for Shared Benefits, the commemorative events broadened consensus among the parties on building a community with a shared future for mankind.

As the host of the commemorative events, the Chinese side summarized the key viewpoints of the participants as follows:

1. Seventy years ago, Chinese leaders put forth in full the following Five Principles, i.e. 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. These principles were included in China’s joint statements with India and Myanmar, which called for establishing the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as the basic norm in state-to-state relations. The appeal has had an epoch-making significance.

2. Over the past seventy years, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have shown everlasting relevance. Informed by Asian wisdom, they have become open, inclusive, and universally applicable basic norms for international relations and fundamental principles of international law. They have made indelible historic contributions to the cause of human progress.

3. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence are consistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and reflect the underlying trend of international relations. With a greater emphasis on mutuality and equality, these principles provide a whole set of basic norms for peaceful coexistence among countries across political, security, economic and diplomatic domains, and have a far-reaching impact on the development of international relations and international law.

4. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have opened a new path for the establishment and development of relations between countries with different social systems. These principles enable countries to break free from antagonistic and confrontational mindsets, coexist peacefully on the basis of equality and mutual respect, and resolve disagreements and disputes by peaceful means.

5. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have bolstered the efforts of developing countries to deepen solidarity and cooperation and seek strength through unity. These principles have inspired developing countries to find independent paths of development, and contributed to the improvement and development of North-South relations.

6. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were designed to protect the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and redress the systems of imperialism, colonialism and hegemonism. These principles have laid an intellectual foundation for and lent impetus to a more just and equitable international order.

7. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence are showing greater vitality amidst global transformations not seen in a century. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is a natural step for carrying forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence under the new circumstances, and enriches the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence with the imperatives of the new era.

8. The Vision of Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind carries forward the essence of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and builds on them to better reflect the reality that all countries share the same future. The overarching goal is to build a world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity and one that is open, inclusive, clean and beautiful, which points the direction for all countries to work together on Earth, the planet we call home.

9. The participants spoke positively of China’s proposals for advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, and recognized their great significance for safeguarding international peace and security, promoting global sustainable development, and contributing to human civilization and progress. These initiatives offer concrete and workable pathways toward building a community with a shared future for mankind.

10. The essence of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence is sovereign equality, which is the most important norm in state-to-state relations. All countries are equal. The big should not subdue the small, the strong should not bully the weak, and the rich should not exploit the poor. World multipolarity should be characterized by equality and order. International law should be applied in an equal and uniform manner to all countries. Double standards and exceptionalism should be rejected.

11. Mutual respect is a ground rule of state-to-state interaction and the basis of building a new type of international relations. Considering that countries differ in historical and cultural traditions and development stages, it is imperative to respect the development paths and systems chosen independently by the people of other countries, not to impose one’s will on other countries, and not to interfere in their internal affairs. Major countries should set an example.

12. All countries should take the path of peaceful development, act on the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, work for building a more balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture, and resolve major international and regional issues through dialogue rather than confrontation.

13. In the era of economic globalization, it is important to promote development and achieve mutual benefit through cooperation. It is also important to make the global economy bigger and let more countries have an equitable share in the benefits of development, thus making globalization more universally beneficial and inclusive. Unilateral and protectionist measures in violation of the laws of economics and market principles will end up harming all sides.

14. Promoting the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence is conducive to safeguarding international fairness and justice and upholding true multilateralism. It is important to jointly defend the international system with the United Nations at the center and advance global governance characterized by extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit. Hot-spot issues, such as the Ukraine crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, can only be resolved by a political settlement through dialogue and consultation. Global challenges, such as those emanating from climate change and artificial intelligence, must be addressed through open cooperation.

15. Exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations drive human progress. It is important to respect the diversity of civilizations in an open and inclusive spirit, reject the discriminatory and exclusionary notion of “civilizational superiority,” and refrain from inciting clashes of civilizations. Peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom are humanity’s common values. They command the greatest global consensus and should be upheld by all.

16. The Global South is a key force that advocates and practices the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. It should be the staunch force for peace, the core driving force for open development, the construction team of global governance, and the advocates for exchange among civilizations. It can make a greater contribution to South-South and North-South cooperation as well as human progress.

17. The participants commended the announcements by China for supporting Global South cooperation, which include:

Establishing a Global South research center, providing 1,000 scholarships under the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence Scholarship of Excellence and 100,000 training opportunities to Global South countries in the next five years, and launching a Global South youth leaders program;
Further leveraging the China-U.N. Peace and Development Fund, the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, and the Climate Change South-South Cooperation Fund, and working with interested parties to set up a tripartite center of excellence for implementing the Global Development Initiative, so as to facilitate growth in Global South countries;
Renewing the China-IFAD South-South and Triangular Cooperation Facility and making an additional Renminbi contribution equivalent to U.S.$10 million to be used to support agricultural development of the Global South;
Discussing free trade arrangements with more Global South countries, continuing to support the WTO’s Aid for Trade initiative, renewing contribution to the WTO’s China Program, and welcoming more Global South countries to join the Initiative on International Trade and Economic Cooperation Framework for Digital Economy and Green Development; and
Between now and 2030, China’s import from fellow developing countries is expected to exceed U.S.$8 trillion.

18. The participants spoke highly of the enormous achievements in Chinese modernization and China’s relentless efforts for and contribution to safeguarding world peace, promoting friendly cooperation with other countries, and advancing common development of the world.

19. The participants were grateful for China’s thoughtful organization of the commemorative events. They expressed readiness to work with China to turn into reality the wide-ranging consensus reached at the events, continue championing the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and build a community with a shared future for mankind in order to create a better future for human society. (PR)

International

Xi’s metaphoric vision on APEC family

Article from China Daily

President Xi Jinping is attending the 31st APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Lima, Peru, where leaders from across the Asia-Pacific have convened to chart strategies for shaping the region’s future.APEC gatherings, renowned for blending economic discussions with cultural exchanges, often feature leaders donning local attire for the iconic “family photo”. This no-tie tradition is seen as a way to cut down on the formality that high-level meetings usually involve.

In these meetings, Xi’s remarks showcase not only his eloquence but also his wit, vividly conveying his vision for Asia-Pacific cooperation. Over the years, his incisive words and catchphrases have offered fresh perspectives on advancing regional growth and fostering deeper collaboration among APEC members.

On growth

During the 2016 APEC gathering, also held in Lima, Xi used an analogy to describe the relationship between China and the wider Asia-Pacific region, comparing it to sweet potatoes, a food native to Latin America.

He explained that while the vines of sweet potatoes may stretch in all directions, they all grow out of their roots. “Similarly, no matter what level of development it may reach, China, with its roots in the Asia-Pacific, will always contribute to the region’s development and prosperity.”That metaphor holds even truer today.Since joining APEC in 1991, China has become a key trading partner and export market for the majority of APEC members. According to China Customs, China’s trade with APEC economies reached a historic high, surpassing 21 trillion yuan ($2.92 trillion) in the first 10 months this year, marking a 5.7 percent increase from the previous year and accounting for 59.1 percent of China’s total trade.

In its efforts to promote free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific and beyond, China has reduced its overall tariff level to 7.3 percent.”China cannot develop in isolation from the Asia-Pacific while the Asia-Pacific cannot prosper without China,” the Chinese leader made these remarks when he debuted at the APEC stage in Bali, Indonesia, in 2013, highlighting the interconnected growth of the region.Connectivity stands out as one key theme of Xi’s vision for Asia-Pacific development.

He once invoked a concept from traditional Chinese medicine to illustrate APEC cooperation: when there is free flow, there is no pain; when there is pain, there is no free flow. “Connectivity makes the economic arteries of the Asia-Pacific flow more smoothly,” he explained.During his 2013 trip to Indonesia, Xi proposed the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, a pivotal component of the Belt and Road Initiative, and proposed plans for establishing the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to support the BRI.

To date, more than half of APEC’s 21 economies have engaged in Belt and Road cooperation, with signature projects like the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia and Chancay Port in Peru aiming to help strengthen trade networks and drive growth across the region.”

President Xi has put forward a series of proposals and initiatives to enhance Asia-Pacific regional cooperation, and the BRI is a major one to promote regional comprehensive connectivity,” said Liu Chenyang, director of the APEC study center at Tianjin-based Nankai University.”

These efforts led by President Xi have also shown the world China’s determination to take root in the Asia-Pacific and benefit the region in the long run,” Liu said.

While hosting the 2014 APEC meeting by Yanqi Lake in Beijing’s northern suburbs, Xi compared the 21 APEC economies to 21 swan geese.The lake got its beautiful Chinese name because the migrant swan geese would flock there for rest each spring and autumn. In Chinese culture, swan geese symbolize faithfulness, resilience and determination, flying in unison toward a shared destination despite great distances.”

We are meeting here at Yanqi Lake to enhance cooperation and embark on a new flight to shape a new vision for the development of the Asia-Pacific region,” he said. “A lone goose cannot make a formation.”As a steadfast champion for unity, Xi called on APEC economies to stay committed to mutually beneficial cooperation and fully leverage each other’s strengths to promote development for all.

“We should replace the ‘winner-take-all’ mentality with an all-win approach and work together for great development and prosperity of our region,” he noted.Founded in 1989, APEC was designed to foster economic growth and facilitate free trade and investment across the Asia-Pacific region. Throughout the years, thanks to the joint efforts of its members, the Asia-Pacific region has served as a vital engine of the world economy, driving what Xi has called “the Asia-Pacific miracle”.

The latest IMF data show the region contributes approximately 60 percent to global economic growth.The APEC economies, covering several continents and home to one-third of the world’s population, vary significantly in their development paths and economic conditions.

Acknowledging the differences and divergences among those in the region, Xi emphasized, “Those who cherish the same ideals and follow the same path can be partners, and so can those who seek common ground while reserving differences.”In 2014, under Xi’s chairmanship, APEC economies endorsed a road-map to advance the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, initially proposed in 2006 in Hanoi, Vietnam. This endorsement was widely viewed as a milestone, marking the official start of efforts to transform a broad vision into concrete actions aimed at elevating Asia-Pacific regional economic integration to a new level.Sharing Xi’s vision, Montri Mahaplerkpong, executive board member of the Federation of Thai Industries, said, “Adhering to the objective of driving APEC together, whether in big, small or medium-sized economies, we have plenty of room in this world to move the economy forward together, as long as we have the will to make it better.”

“I believe all 21 APEC member economies could do hand-in-hand collaboration by seeking common ground while shelving differences,” said Montri.On shared future“I was looking at the vast ocean when I boarded the ship, and it struck me that we are all indeed fellow passengers in the same boat,” Xi said while addressing the 2018 APEC CEO Summit hosted at a distinctive setting — onboard the giant cruise Pacific Explorer in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.”

As we brave the rough waters of the global economy and confront the many risks and challenges, it is all too befitting that we have come together on this ship to chart the course for future development and cooperation,” he noted. APEC has faced unprecedented challenges in recent years, from trade frictions to geopolitical tensions. Against this backdrop, Xi has consistently championed genuine multilateralism and warned against antagonism and confrontation.

“The Asia-Pacific is no one’s backyard and should not become an arena for big power contest,” he emphasized in the 2022 Bangkok meeting.During the 30th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting held in San Francisco last year, Xi posed a critical question: “Where will Asia-Pacific cooperation be headed in the next 30 years?” And he has provided an answer with Chinese insights — build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future.”Community” has always been the keyword of Xi’s foreign policy. At his APEC debut in 2013, Xi urged member economies to strengthen “the sense of community of common destiny”.

Five years later in Port Moresby, he advocated for jointly building “a community with a shared future in the Asia-Pacific” to address common challenges.In 2020, as the world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout, Xi, while attending the annual APEC gathering via video link, elaborated on his vision to build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future featuring openness and inclusiveness, innovation-driven growth, greater connectivity and mutually beneficial cooperation.

The 2020 meeting saw APEC members adopt the Putrajaya Vision 2040 as the guiding framework for future work, calling for the creation of an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community.As Xi prepares to join other Asia-Pacific leaders for discussions under the theme of “Empower. Include. Grow,” observers have set their expectations for the ongoing annual meeting in Lima.

“The role of APEC in facilitating dialogue among political and economic leaders is more crucial than ever at this time of growing protectionism and economic decoupling,” said Hans Hendrischke, professor of Chinese business and management at the University of Sydney Business School.

China has always been active in pushing emerging market economies and developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region to realize more efficient development, said Dora Isabel Gonzalez, a researcher at the Faculty of Higher Studies of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Acatlan.

“I believe President Xi’s trip to Peru will strongly promote economic, trade and investment cooperation and sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region and even globally,” said Gonzalez.

International

Chinese vice premier calls for strengthening early warnings for all at COP29

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s special representative Ding Xuexiang, also China’s vice premier, on Tuesday called for strengthening early warning systems for all and enhancing climate adaptation capacity when addressing a high-level meeting held by China on early warnings during the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Ding, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, noted that China attaches great importance to international cooperation on meteorological early warning and President Xi has made specific requirements on this issue.

In recent years, climate change has had an increasing impact globally, with frequent extreme weather events posing unprecedented challenges to the safety of people’s lives and property as well as to economic and social development, Ding said, adding that strengthening early warning systems for all and enhancing climate adaptation capacity have become increasingly important and urgent.

China is willing to work with all countries to advance the implementation of the United Nations’ Early Warnings for All initiative, make new and greater contributions to addressing climate change, Ding said. He further proposed three points.

First, jointly improving global risk assessment capabilities and promoting the standardization of climate risk assessments to provide scientific support for climate governance.

Second, jointly building a global early warning network, sharing technology, enhancing system interconnectivity, and working to improve global early warning systems.

Third, jointly establishing a climate adaptation partnership. Ding said that China will develop and implement a South-South cooperation flagship project for early warning in response to climate change, supporting other developing countries through the provision of meteorological observation equipment, early warning systems, and capacity-building training.

COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev, the UN secretary-general’s Special Adviser on Climate Action and Just Transition Selwin Hart, World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Celeste Saulo, and Kamal Kishore, the UN secretary-general’s special representative for disaster risk reduction and head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, also attended the meeting and delivered speeches.

During the meeting, China’s Action Plan on Early Warning for Climate Change Adaptation (2025-2027) was published. Article from CGTN

International

Port heralds a bright future for China and Peru

Article from China Daily

“‘From Chancay to Shanghai’ has become a popular phrase, heralding the broad future of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries,” President Xi Jinping said when meeting with Peruvian President Dina Boluarte Zegarra in Beijing in June. In Spanish, Chancay and Shanghai sound similar.

As a flagship Belt and Road cooperation project, the Chancay Port, located about 78 km north of Peru’s capital Lima, is set to be inaugurated soon. Once in operation, it will become a major maritime gateway and a crucial hub in the South Pacific, shortening the sea freight time from South America to Asia by half, from around 45 days to 23.

The port will bridge Latin America and Asia as a new channel in November and is one of the flagship projects under the #BeltandRoad Initiative in #LatinAmerica.