Wang Yi Attends and Addresses the Luncheon Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence

On June 28, 2024, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended and addressed the luncheon marking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in Beijing. Former General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Nong Duc Manh, former President of Myanmar Thein Sein, former President of Brazil and President of the New Development Bank Dilma Rousseff, former President of Ethiopia Mulatu Teshome, former Prime Minister of France Dominique de Villepin and other former political dignitaries, experts and scholars, friendly people, and representatives of business circle from more than 60 countries and international and regional organizations were present.

Wang Yi said, "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."

Wang Yi said, 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."

Wang Yi pointed out, "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, have remained committed to our responsibility in upholding world peace and development, and have remained steadfast in pursuing a just and equitable international order. 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." He called on all to implement the initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping that the Global South needs to carry out open and inclusive cooperation, and back the eight measures in support of Global South cooperation unveiled by President Xi Jinping. "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 give a stronger boost to the common development of the Global South, and make new contributions to strengthening South-South cooperation, promoting North-South cooperation, and furthering human progress."

Wang Yi emphasized, 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 cement the foundation of friendship and cooperation with mutual respect, foster a pattern of universal security with joint contribution for shared benefit, promote a wave of development and prosperity with opening up and cooperation, open up new vistas for human civilization with inclusiveness and mutual learning, steer the future of global governance with fairness and justice, 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.

All parties expressed that the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have pooled the broadest consensus among all countries, have evolved from Asian wisdom into the basic norms governing international relations, have promoted South-South cooperation and North-South dialogue, and have become the "golden key" for handling state-to-state relations and resolving differences and conflicts, and have been widely followed by the international community. Under the new circumstances, in the face of the deficits in peace and development and the challenges of security and governance, the contemporary value and strong vitality of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence are further demonstrated. All parties spoke highly of China's role as a responsible major country and its contribution to peace and development, and said that the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity proposed by President Xi Jinping is a development, innovation and sublimation of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and the new measures announced by President Xi Jinping to support the Global South cooperation will inject strong impetus into the unity and development of developing countries. Global challenges require global solutions, and the destinies and futures of all countries in the world are interconnected. The international community should work together to uphold peaceful coexistence and mutual respect, safeguard sovereign equality, fairness and justice, and promote win-win cooperation and inclusive development.