China's Foreign Policy
The Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative
Conference (CPPCC) served as a provisional constitution after it was
adopted in September 1949. The document clearly stipulated that the basic
principle of China's foreign policy was to guarantee independence,
freedom and territorial integrity of the state, support protracted world
peace and friendly cooperation among peoples of all countries in the
world, and oppose imperialist policies of aggression and war. The
Constitution of the People's Republic of China revised during the First
Plenary Session of the Eighth National People's Congress has the explicit
stipulations concerning China's foreign policy: "China adheres to an
independent foreign policy as well as to the five principles of mutual
respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression,
non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual
benefit, and peaceful coexistence in developing diplomatic relations and
economic and cultural exchanges with other countries; China consistently
opposes imperialism, hegemonism and colonialism, works to strengthen
unity with the people of other countries, supports the oppressed nations
and the developing countries in their just struggle to win and preserve
national independence and develop their national economies, and strives
to safeguard world peace and promote the cause of human progress."
Following the above policies over the past 50 years, China has
actively engaged in foreign activities, and in handling foreign affairs.
China has made sustained efforts to developing friendly cooperative
relations with all countries and in safeguarding world peace, and has
made its contribution in these fields too.
1. Maintaining Independence and Safeguarding National Sovereignty
China had suffered imperialist aggression and oppression for over
100 years before the founding of the People's Republic in 1949.
Therefore, China regards the hard-earned right of independence as the
basic principle of foreign policy.
China maintains independence, does not allow any country to infringe
upon its national sovereignty and interfere in its internal affairs. As
to international affairs, China decide on our stand and policy according
to whether the matter is right and wrong and in consideration of the
basic interests of the Chinese people and the people of the world, and
shall never yield to pressure and threat from other countries. China
maintains independence, cherishes its own right and also respects for the
right of independence of other countries. China upholds that any country,
big or small, rich or poor, and strong or weak, should be equal. China
maintains independence, will neither enter into alliance with any big
power or group of countries, nor establish any military bloc, join in the
arms race or seek military expansion.
2. Opposing Hegemonism and Safeguarding World Peace
The common aspiration of the Chinese people as well as the people of
the world is to maintain peace and to eliminate wars.
After the World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union
desperately engaged in arm races and regional domination in order to
contend for world hegemonism. As a result, they caused severe threat to
world peace. The Chinese government has constantly opposed arm races and
regional domination, and actively stood for the complete prohibition and
destruction of nuclear weapons and great reduction of conventional
weapons and military troops. China decided in 1985 to reduce one million
troops within two years and signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons in 1992. All these received favorable international
comments.
3. Upholding the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence
The five principles of peaceful coexistence was put forward in line
with the reality of a multipolar world. Respect to sovereignty is the
most fundamental principle in a new type of international relations.
Mutual non-aggression means to get rid of the threat of using arms and
armed threat in the internal relations among countries. Non-interference
in each other's international affairs is the most important principle in
international relations to guarantee each country's right to take care of
its own internal affairs and prevent any other country from interfering
with any means. Equality and mutual benefit mean political equality,
economic equality, cooperation, mutual benefit and supplement to each
other's needs. Peaceful coexistence calls on all countries to seek common
interests, reserve differences, respect each other, maintain friendly
cooperation and live in harmony regardless of differences in their social
systems and ideologies.
In the 1990s great changes have occurred in the world. Domination of
two superpowers ended and the world is becoming more multipolar. On the
basis of the five principles of peaceful coexistence, China stands for
the establishment of a peaceful, stable, just and rational international
order. China's stand conforms to the purposes and principles of the UN
Charter, and reflects the trend of the times to seek peace and
development.
4. Strengthening Solidarity of the Developing Countries, and
Together Opposing Imperialism and Colonialism
It is a great cause of the people in the developing countries in
Asia, Africa and Latin America that account for three-quarters of the
total population of the world, to take the road of independence and
development. China has constantly held that supporting the just demands
of the developing countries and safeguarding solidarity and cooperation
among the developing countries is its international duty. Whenever the
developing countries suffer external aggression and interference, China
is ready to give its support. Many leaders of the developing countries
regard China as a "tested friend" and a "reliable friend".
China has become a formal observer of the nonalignment movement, and
its cooperative relations with the Seventy-Seven Group and the South
Pacific Forum has been steadily strengthened.
5. Improving Relations with Developed Countries to Promote Common
Progress
On the basis of the principle of peaceful coexistence, China has
constantly stood for establishing and developing relations with developed
countries, and regarded improving the relations with developed countries
and promoting development with them as an important task of China's
foreign affairs.
The establishment of the diplomatic relations with France in 1964
broke the policy of Western countries to isolate China. In the 1970s the
world situation experienced a great change, the United States had to
readjust its policy on China, and China also readjusted its policy on the
United States. This resulted in a breakthrough of the long antagonism
between China and the United State, and the normalization of diplomatic
relations between the two countries through common efforts. Meanwhile,
China established diplomatic relations and strengthened friendly
cooperative ties with other Western countries successively. This further
brought about a new situation in China's foreign affairs.
6. Removing External Interference, Promoting China's Reunification
Hong Kong and Macao have been inseparable parts of China since
ancient times. China does not recognize unequal treaties imposed by
imperialist powers. Regarding the issue of Hong Kong and Macao left over
by history, China has constantly held the position of peaceful settlement
through negotiations at a proper opportunity.
In order to accomplish China's reunification, Deng Xiaoping put
forward the concept of "one country, two systems". The delegations of the
Chinese and British governments finally reached an agreement after 22
rounds of talks, and formally signed the Joint Declaration on the
Question of Hong Kong and three appendixes. Hong Kong returned to the
embrace of the motherland on July 1, 1997. The Chinese and Portugal
governments formally signed the Joint Declaration on the Question of
Macao and two appendixes in 1984 after they reached an agreement through
four-round talks. China will resume its exercise of sovereignty over
Macao on December 20, 1999.
Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory. People of the
two sides of the Taiwan Straits are looking forward to the realization of
China's reunification. China resolutely opposes the "independence of
Taiwan", the attempt to create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan".
Chinese leaders call on Taiwan authorities to enter into political
negotiations with the mainland at an early date. On the premise that
there is only one China, the two sides of the Straits should end the
state of hostility, and improve the relations between the two sides to
accomplish the reunification of the motherland.
The international situation is experiencing a great change, and
peace and development have become the mainstream of the time. China will
continue to adhere to the independent and peaceful foreign policy and to
make greater contribution to the cause of safeguarding world peace and
promoting human progress, and to building socialism with Chinese
characteristics.
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