Fifty years ago, Asian and African countries assembled and discussed issues of common concern -- independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

Their courage in overcoming difficulties and their sincerity in seeking common ground finally gave birth to 10 principles, or the "Bandung spirit," with "unity, friendship and cooperation" at its core.

This spirit has ever since played an important role in international relations and has also greatly contributed to cooperation and development among newly independent Asian and African countries.

After 50 years, they once again gathered together in the same place, but in more numbers, and also talked about issues of common concern -- peace and development.

Just like their forerunners, they stated their stances on many issues and mapped out principles for future cooperation.

With wide smiles on their faces, they took a historic walk, the same one that their predecessors took half a century ago, in celebration of the epoch-making conference.

When leaders and representatives from 105 Asian and African countries converged from last Friday to Sunday in Bandung, Indonesia, for the second Asia-Africa Summit in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first conference, they were once again doing something that would set a new path in the post-Cold War world.

The messages transmitted from the second Asian-African Summit and commemorative activities have converged into one point: Asian and African developing countries are trying to revive and carry forward the Bandung spirit that once produced positive effects.

Asian and African countries face new threats and challenges today, ones that are no less important than the ones they were confronted with at independence.

"This year's Asian-African Summit was to commemorate the first one held 50 years ago and explore the direction, field and scale of cooperation among countries in Asia and Africa," Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei said.

"As a gathering of heads of states from Asia and Africa, the second Bandung conference will inevitably play a significant role in promoting unity and cooperation among countries of the two continents as well as promoting peace and development," Wu told the summit.

At the summit, a declaration about a "New Asian-African Strategic Partnership" -- a framework to establish a bridge between the two continents -- was issued in which the delegates pledged to cooperate on various issues, such as poverty reduction, and to hold an inter-regional summit once every four years.

"The convention of having regular Asian-African summits bears a geographic significance. And the publication of the document for a strategic partnership also signals that Asian and African countries have already embarked on a new starting point for unity, cooperation and advancement," said Pei Yuanyi, former Chinese ambassador to India.

The participants also issued a joint action plan spelling out specific ways to promote exchanges between the two continents in political, economic and cultural fields.

The current world has entered an era mainly characterized by peace, cooperation and development.

Developing countries have not only enjoyed more opportunities for development, but have also faced a series of challenges.

"Hegemonism and power politics have not completely exited from the arena of history, and some uncertain elements in traditional and non-traditional security fields are still threatening the world, especially developing countries," the former ambassador said.

The situation needs political and economic cooperation among Asian and African countries under the Bandung spirit.

"Despite gaining independence, developing countries have still a long way to go to consolidate their political independence, develop national economies, and pursue equal status with developed countries in the international arena," said Qu Xing, a professor at the Beijing-based Foreign Affairs College.

"There are occasions when big and powerful countries bully the small and weak ones. And it is also common that some countries try to intervene in the internal affairs of others, especially those in Asia and Africa, using any excuse," he said.

Over the past decades, the world has made a big stride forward in economic development.

A just and reasonable new international order, however, is still far from being established.

Developed countries have still not abandoned their attempts to take advantage of their positions in international organizations to control underdeveloped countries in the economic sector.

The wealth gap between the rich and poor nations continues to widen instead of being narrowed.

In the era of globalization, Asian and African countries face unbalanced development, and some of them are even at risk of being marginalized.

Due to economic inequality, developing and developed countries are essentially enjoying unequal political status and treatment in international affairs.

"Under these circumstances, the principles of non-interference into other countries' internal affairs and recognition of equality among all nations and races, put forward by Asian and African countries 50 years ago, bear a particularly practical significance," Qu said.

"Since the Cold War ended, the international community, especially developing countries, still face challenges posed by unilateral activities by certain countries, although they have freed themselves from bipolar rivalry," said Liu Jiangyong, a professor at the Institute of International Studies under Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Military alliances, a relic left over from the Cold War, have further strengthened military intervention in international affairs under various pretexts, instead of being weakened or discarded.

"Particularly since the Iraq War, the international community has been at the crossroads. It can choose the path of unilateralism or multilateralism," he said.

"When people in the world are considering where their communities should go, it seems particularly necessary to continue to advocate and carry forward the Bandung spirit."

With a 50-year-long adjournment, the holding of a new Asia-Africa Summit is solid proof that the Bandung spirit continues to flourish in the current international political situation.

No country can afford to neglect or underestimate the role of the conference convened by countries that comprise the majority of the world's populace. Also, no one can afford to turn a blind eye to the resounding voices.

The world is changing, and so are the ideas coming from the Bandung conference.

But the Bandung spirit will forever maintain its youth and vigor.

(China Daily April 27, 2005)