Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, in an article titled "Peace, Development and Cooperation" posted on his ministry's website yesterday, gave an overview of China's foreign policy, describing relations with other nations and regional associations and its role in international organizations and negotiations.

"China-US relations have, on the whole, maintained stability and growth. Dialogue and exchanges at the various levels have improved mutual understanding and mutual trust," Li said.

He said they have strengthened dialogue and cooperation in economic, scientific, technological, counter-terrorism, non-proliferation, regional security and other fields, which serves not only the fundamental interests of the two countries but also peace and stability in the world.

On China-Japan relations, Li said China attaches importance to them and that they have enjoyed close economic cooperation and frequent personnel exchanges.

Li said in the face of complex political relations in recent years, China maintains that the two sides, their leaders in particular, should act in strategic and long-term interests, strictly abide by principles enshrined in the three bilateral political documents and, following the principle of "taking history as a guide and looking to the future," step up exchanges and cooperation and create conditions for steady and sound development of bilateral relations by removing any obstacles.

Talking about China-Russia ties, Li said their strategic cooperative partnership continues to deepen, as their leaders have kept up close exchanges with mutual trust and respect.

He said they have worked in close coordination on regional and international concerns, promoting multilateralism and greater democracy in international relations.

Li also hailed China-EU relations, saying their overall strategic partnership has become richer in substance. In 2004, China emerged as the EU's largest trading partner and the EU China's second largest.

On foreign policy regarding neighboring countries, Li said China was committed to building good relationships and creating an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood, playing an important role in maintaining regional peace and promoting common development. 

"China has proved itself to be a good neighbor, good friend and good partner of surrounding countries," he said.

During the 1997 Asian financial crisis, China kept its currency stable for the common good of Asian countries and provided assistance to the best of its ability to affected countries, thus playing a vital role in overcoming the crisis. 

In the wake of the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the government and people responded swiftly in expressing sympathy for those affected and provided China's largest foreign relief program since 1949.

With respect to the Korean nuclear issue, Li said China has acted in all parties' overall interests and worked tirelessly on three-party and then six-party talks, thus keeping tension in the peninsula from escalating and contributing constructively to peace and stability in Northeast Asia.

"China is an active participant in and staunch supporter of regional cooperation in Asia," Li said, playing a positive role in ASEAN+China, ASEAN+China, Japan and South Korea, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), ASEAN Regional Forum, and Asian Cooperation Dialogue.

Li said China has worked to promote common development by sticking to the principles of consensus, equality, mutual benefit and gradual progress, and taking into account the interests and concerns of various parties.

Li said China's development has become a significant part of Asian rejuvenation. Since 1996, it has contributed up to 44 percent of Asian economic growth. In 2004, its trade with the rest of Asia stood at US$665.03 billion, accounting for 57.6 percent of the country's total foreign trade.

Li said in the spirit of mutual understanding, accommodation and fairness, China has completely settled boundary issues with Russia and other neighbors through consultation and negotiation, and reached agreement with India on political guiding principles for the settlement of boundary issues there.

China signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea with ASEAN, he added, and made breakthroughs on joint development in the area with the Philippines and Vietnam.

UN reform should consider concerns of developing countries

Li said the UN should undergo reforms "as may be necessary and reasonable, giving, in particular, scope to the rational demands and concerns of developing countries to the biggest extent possible."

Li said strengthening solidarity and mutually beneficial cooperation with developing countries was the starting point of China's diplomacy, promoting South-South cooperation and North-South dialogue. China continued to provide assistance to developing countries within its capacity, with a view to helping them overcome difficulties and build capacity for self-development.

He said China has provided tariff breaks to the least developed countries in Asia and Africa, and cancelled debts owed by 38 of them totaling 13.778 billion yuan (US$1.70 billion).

"China has taken an active part in the work of the UN, upholding the authority and role of the world body and its Security Council, and conducting extensive international cooperation in such fields as counter-terrorism, arms control, peacekeeping, development, human rights, law-enforcement, and the environment," said Li.

In the past 15 years, China has sent over 3,000 non-combatant troops, police and civil officers on 15 UN peacekeeping missions. "China's development cannot materialize without the world. And a stable and prosperous world also needs China."

China is "actively advocating establishing a fair and rational international order," said Li, and developing countries should be helped to participate on an equal footing in international economic affairs.

"China supports security dialogue, regional security cooperation mechanisms and stronger multilateral security cooperation, as a way to address security threats and challenges facing all countries," he said.

Li stressed China is opposed to terrorism in all forms and stands for closer international cooperation to fight it and eliminate its root causes.

China is also advocating a new concept of civilization that features respect for diversity, said Li, adding that independently choosing a path of development in light of national conditions is an inalienable right of every people and must be fully respected.

China's diplomacy contributes to world peace, development

"China's diplomacy has made bold headway, serving domestic development and contributing to world peace and common development," Li wrote.

Describing peace, development and cooperation as the irresistible trend of the times, Li said as new situations and contradictions keep cropping up, maintaining world peace and promoting common development remain the mission of all countries.

China needs cooperation to maintain common security, realize common development and promote harmony and coexistence, Li said, and as security problems become more transnational, interrelated and sudden in occurrence, "only through international cooperation can we effectively address them."

"The Cold War mentality, unilateralism and the worship of military might will lead us nowhere," he said.

Li said cooperation can also help redress the imbalance in global development, effectively ward off economic and financial risks, and enable countries to seize opportunities of globalization to realize common development.

(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2005)