|
Working for lasting world peace and creating a happy life and
an advanced culture for all mankind, lofty ideals held by all the
world's peoples, are likewise the sincerely held aspirations of
the Chinese people.
The Chinese nation loves peace dearly and has made major contributions
to peace and other progressive causes for all of mankind. Modern
history has served as grim witness to China's great sufferings and
the humiliation of the Chinese people as the result of imperialist
and colonialist invasion and partition. Countless Chinese sons and
daughters shed their blood or laid down their lives to free the
nation from this cruel bondage and plundering, advancing wave upon
wave, until national liberation and independence were finally won
under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The Chinese
people know only too well the true value of independence, sovereignty
and equality.
China's guiding principle of seeking peace and development has
been reflected in each of the constitutions the nation has adopted
since the founding of New China. The Common Programme of the Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference, which was passed at
the First Plenary Session of the CPPCC in September, 1949 and served
as a provisional state constitution, affirmed that China would "stand
for lasting international peace and friendly cooperation among the
people of the world, and oppose the imperialist policies of aggression
and war." The Constitution of 1954 stipulated that "the
steadfast policy of our country in international affairs is to work
hard for the lofty goal of world peace and progress for mankind."
The present Constitution, adopted in 1982, once again states that
China "strives to safeguard world peace and promote the cause
of human progress."
The forces for world peace have grown rapidly since the 1980s,
and peace and development have become the two major issues of the
day. China's scientific analysis of the development trends and characteristics
of the international situation has produced the conclusion that
with the concerted efforts of people throughout the world, a new
world war can not only be deferred but it can possibly be avoided
as well. In the new era of peace and development, the task of first
importance facing the Chinese people is to develop the economy and
change the poverty and backwardness of the nation. With this in
mind, China has focused its development strategy on economic construction.
China's modernization programme is an important component of the
cause for the common development and progress of mankind. A peaceful
international environment is necessary for China's development and
a prosperous and stable China, in turn, will increasingly benefit
world peace. For this reason, China unwaveringly pursues a foreign
policy of peace and independence. It resolutely protects its national
independence and sovereignty and opposes foreign interference; seeks
to establish and develop extensive, friendly relations with all
the world's countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful
Coexistence, strengthen unity and cooperation with developing countries
and actively develop good-neighbourly relations with bordering nations;
stands for the proposition that all nations, big or small, are equal
and opposes hegemonism and power politics in any form; advocates
the settlement of international disputes through peaceful means;
and opposes the threat or use of force in international relations.
China's national defence policy is defensive in nature. Its basic
goals are to consolidate national defence, resist foreign aggression,
defend the nation's sovereignty over its land, sea and air as well
as its maritime rights and interests, and safeguard national unity
and security. National defence work in China is subordinate to and
in service of the nation's overall economic construction, adhering
to the principles of "combining peacetime with wartime"
and "integrating the army with the people." In terms of
military strategy, China follows a policy of positive defence and
adheres to the idea of people's war. China does not seek world or
regional hegemony. China does not station any troops or set up any
military bases in any foreign country. China's national defence
construction is not directed against any country, and thus, does
not pose a threat to any country.
During the course of foreign policy implementation and national
defence construction, China attaches importance to the active role
of arms control and disarmament, holding that arms control and disarmament
are conducive to reducing and eliminating the danger of war and
increasing factors for international peace and security. Such controls
and reductions will help improve relations and mutual trusamong
nations and will enable the contribution of more resources, capital
and technology to economic and social development.
Protracted, unremitting efforts by the international community
have led to great progress in international arms control and disarmament
in the past few years. Nonetheless, mankind should remain coolly
cognizant that the path to international arms control and disarmament
is still extremely complex and difficult. While some progress has
been made in nuclear disarmament, the major nuclear powers, with
the world's most sophisticated and largest quantity of nuclear weapons
in hand, have neither abandoned their policy of nuclear deterrence
nor stopped the development of nuclear weapons and outer space weapons
including guided missile defence systems. On the one hand, they
vie with one another in dumping their advanced weapons on the international
market, even using weapons transfers as a means to interfere in
other nations' domestic affairs. On the other, they resort to discriminative
anti-proliferation and arms control measures, directing the spearhead
of arms control at the developing countries.
China holds that the international community should promote fair,
rational, comprehensive and balanced arms control and disarmament
and observe the following principles:
- All nations should follow the purposes and principles for safeguarding
international peace and security contained in the Charter of the
United Nations and other relevant international legal norms. At
the same time arms control and disarmament is worked for, aggression
must be curbed. Regional conflicts must be fairly and rationally
resolved and force or threat of force should not be used in international
relations. Hegemonism and power politics should be eliminated in
international relations, so as to create an international environment
and conditions favourable to disarmament.
- The ultimate goal of disarmament is the complete prohibition
and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons and other weapons of
mass destruction (including chemical and biological weapons), the
complete prohibition of outer space weapons, and reductions in conventional
arms as befits actual circumstances. The big powers, possessors
of the largest and most sophisticated nuclear and conventional arsenals,
bear a special responsibility in arms control and disarmament
- Preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
The prevention of proliferation is not in itself the ultimate goal.
Only through complete prohibition and thorough destruction of such
weapons can proliferation be effectively prevented. Preventing proliferation
should neither present an obstacle to the just rights and interests
of all countries in the peaceful use of science and technology nor
restrict or harm economic, scientific and technological development
in developing countries.
- All nations have the right to maintaining an appropriate national
defence capability and to legitimate self-defence. It is necessary
at all stages of the arms control and disarmament process to ensure
all nations from sustaining damage to their security. All nations,
big or small, have the right to join in discussions and decisions
on arms control and disarmament on an equal basis. The implementation
of international arms control and disarmament must not impair the
independence and sovereignty of any nation, entail the use of force
or the threat of force, or interfere with the internal affairs of
any nation.
- All countries, particularly developed nations, should strictly
control the transfer of sensitive materials, technologies and military
equipment, practise restraint and halt the irresponsible transfer
of weapons.
- All nations should endorse, respect and support the arms control
and disarmament measures adopted after voluntary consultation, negotiation
and agreement between nations and in light of actual regional circumstances.
For many years China has adhered to these basic principles, bearing
its due share of international arms control and disarmament obligations
and responsibilities, working hard to promote peace and development
for humanity.
|