Since it was founded in 1949， the People’s Republic of China （PRC） has been seeking to build a fair and equitable international economic and political order. For that， in 1953， China proposed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence， which have been acknowledged by the rest of the world as the basis for international relations.
This year marks the 65th anniversary of the fi ve principles that have withstood the Cold War and the turbulent period which followed. In the 21st century， they have become more vital to preserve the stability of the international order and promote peace and development.
The genesis
After the PRC was founded， other newly independent countries such as India and Myanmar， then called Burma， although following a social system different from China’s， did not want to follow the West and regard China as an enemy. Instead， they hoped to engage in trade and develop bilateral relations with China.
To create a sound environment for development， Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai propounded the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence during his meeting with a delegation from India in December 1953. The five principles are mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity， mutual non-aggression， non-interference in each other’s internal affairs， equality and mutual benefi t， and peaceful coexistence.
In April 1954， the five principles were written into the preface to the Agreement on Trade and Intercourse Between the Tibet Region of China and India as a guideline for bilateral relations.
During Zhou’s visits to India and Myanmar in 1954， China issued joint statements with the two countries， affirming their commitment to following the five principles among themselves as well as with other countries in the world.
The fi ve principles have changed power politics based on the perception that strong nations can dominate weak ones and provided a new direction to build an international society.
China believes in harmony without uniformity， peace among all nations and nonaggression. The inclusive Chinese culture therefore advocates harmonious coexistence with other countries. In the Chinese view， the world means unity in diversity. This cultural tradition is significant for establishing norms for international relations today.
The key elements of the fi ve principles， mutual benefit and coexistence， demonstrate Asian countries’ new expectations for international relations and the principle of international rule of law that gives countries rights， obligations and responsibilities.
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