The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence
As the wave of decolonization swept the world after World War II, vigorous movements for national liberation surged in Asia, Africa and Latin America in the 1950s, and the new states all wanted equal international relationships. Complying with this trend, China, India and Burma jointly proposed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, namely, 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.
During the negotiations with India in December 1953, Zhou Enlai, on behalf of the Chinese government, first proposed "Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence," and the Indian side responded positively. These principles were incorporated into the two countries' agreement on trade and intercourse between the Tibet region of China and India in April 1954. They became the basic norms the People's Republic followed in handling state-to-state relations as it stepped onto the international stage.
In June 1954, China published joint statements with India and Burma, each of which affirmed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as guiding principles for bilateral relations and proposed making them norms governing international relations. The enunciation of these principles was a major initiative in the history of international relations and a significant contribution to the building of a new form of just and equitable international relations. Since then, these five principles have taken roots in the three countries and spread to other countries in Asia and the rest of the world.
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have become norms for handling international relations and general principles of international law, which emphasize the importance of respect for sovereignty, justice, democracy and rule of law. Their essence is that all sovereign countries are equal, and no country has the right to exercise a monopoly over international affairs. These principles provide the means for developing countries to defend their sovereignty and independence, a new approach to peaceful solution of problems and international disputes carried over from history, and positive step toward building a just and rational international political and economic order.
China has been an active advocate and a firm promoter of these five principles. They have been written into China's Constitution and serve as the cornerstone of China's foreign policy. China will continue to pursue peaceful development, to develop friendly cooperation with other countries on the basis of these principles, and to work with the international community to bring lasting peace, prosperity, and harmony to the world.
和平共處五項原則
20世紀50年代，在第二次世界大戰結束后興起的非殖民化運動中，亞非拉民族獨立解放事業蓬勃發展，新生的國家渴望建立平等的國際關系。中國、印度、緬甸順應這一歷史潮流，共同倡導了互相尊重主權和領土完整、互不侵犯、互不干涉內政、平等互利、和平共處五項原則。
1953年12月，在中國政府和印度政府的談判中，周恩來代表中國政府首次提出和平共處五項原則，得到印度方面的贊同。1954年4月，這五項原則正式寫入中印雙方達成的《關于中國西藏地方和印度之間的通商和交通協定》的序言中。由此，和平共處五項原則成為新中國登上國際舞臺，處理國與國之間關系的基本準則。
1954年6月，中印、中緬分別發表聯合聲明，確認這五項原則將在相互關系以及各自國家同亞洲及世界其他國家的關系中予以適用。這是國際關系史上的重大創舉，為推動建立公正合理的新型國際關系作出了歷史性貢獻。自此之后，和平共處五項原則不僅在中國、印度、緬甸生根發芽、深入人心，而且走向亞洲、走向世界。
和平共處五項原則集中體現了主權、正義、民主、法治的價值觀，成為國際關系基本準則和國際法基本原則。和平共處五項原則的精髓，就是所有國家主權一律平等，反對任何國家壟斷國際事務。這些原則為廣大發展中國家捍衛國家主權和獨立提供了強大思想武器，為和平解決國家間歷史遺留問題及國際爭端開辟了嶄新道路，為推動建立更加公正合理的國際政治經濟秩序發揮了積極作用。
中國是和平共處五項原則的積極倡導者和堅定實踐者。和平共處五項原則載入了中國憲法，是中國外交政策的基石。中國將堅定不移走和平發展道路，堅定不移在和平共處五項原則基礎上發展同世界各國的友好合作，同國際社會一道，推動建設持久和平、共同繁榮的和諧世界。
