Over 100 politicians, scholars and experts from China and 12 other countries gathered in Beijing Monday to discuss new implications of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence.  

The International Seminar on the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, sponsored by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA), is being held in Beijing on June 14-15 to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the five principles.

Addressing the opening ceremony, CPIFA President Lu Qiutian said that over the past half a century, the five principles have played an important role in promoting the development of China-India and China-Asia friendly relations, and properly handling of relations among countries.

The five principles have made great contributions to maintaining world and regional peace and prosperity, he noted.

Reflecting the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, the five principles not only meet the fundamental interests of the people in the world, but also comply with the democratic spirit of modern international relations, he said. Therefore, the five principles still have strong vitality for dealing with the contemporary international relations.

Lu held that as the world is going through new transformations, to further carry forward the five principles and discuss its new implications is an important topic for the seminar. He hoped that through the discussion among politicians, scholars and experts, the five principles will be continuously developed under the new situation, and make greater contributions to the world peace and development.

Participants of the seminar will exchange views on four themes, namely, the five principles and contemporary international relations; the five principles and globalization, multilateralism, cultural diversity and new international order; the five principles and Asian security; the five principles and China's peaceful development.

Former Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen and former Indian President Kocheril Raman Narayanan made keynote addresses at the opening ceremony. A number of international renowned persons, including former German Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl, former UN Secretary-General Butros Butros-Ghali, former US secretaries of state Henry A. Kissinger and George P. Shultz, and former Australian Prime Minister Robert James Lee Hawke will also give speeches at the seminar.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, initiated by China, India and Myanmar in 1954, are mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence.

(Xinhua News Agency June 15, 2004)