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After the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong declared to the whole world that China was ready to establish diplomatic relations with any country which was willing to observe the principles of equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The former Soviet Union was the first country to establish diplomatic relations with New China. Following that, China forged diplomatic ties with some 20 Asian and European countries.
In December 1953, when Chinese Premier and Foreign Minister Zhou Enlai met with a visiting Indian government delegation, he put forward for the first time the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, namely, mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful co-existence. The two countries agreed that the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence would be pursued as the guiding principles for handling bilateral relations.
In 1955, the Asian-African Conference was convened in Bandung, Indonesia. It was the first multilateral international meeting New China had attended. At this meeting, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence advocated by China was made known to the whole world.
From the 1950s till today, the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence have been followed as basic norms guiding China's diplomacy. China has striven to develop friendly relations with all the other countries on the basis of these principles. At the same time, the five principles have also been widely recognized by the international community in governing international relations.
China was a founding member of the United Nations and one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council. After the founding of the People's Republic, however, China's legal seat in the UN was deprived of for two decades due to the obstruction of western anti-China forces.
October 25, 1971 turned out to be a significant day in the history of New China's diplomacy. The UN General Assembly passed with an overwhelming majority of votes a resolution on restoring all the lawful rights of the People's Republic of China in the UN.
Ling Qing, former Chinese representative to the UN, says that the restoration of China's legal seat in the UN marked a milestone event as it changed the world pattern.
"The restoration of China's legal rights in the United Nations was a major breakthrough in China's diplomacy. It also represented a victory for the third world countries, because China always attaches great importance to fostering diplomatic ties with other developing countries and upholds the diplomatic policy of maintaining world peace and seeking common development. With its return to the UN, China could play a bigger role in safeguarding the interests of the third world countries and contribute more to promoting international peace and development."
The 1970s witnessed a big leap forward in China's foreign relations. Following the restoration of its legal seat in the UN, the freezing ties between China and the west began to thaw. China established diplomatic relations with more nations, including some western powers. By the end of the 1970s, China had entered into diplomatic relations with some 120 countries, compared with just 50 countries a decade before. The most significant move during this period was no doubt the establishment of diplomatic ties with the United States.
Since 1949, the United States followed a "no- recognition" policy towards New China for two decades. In the early 1970s, as great changes took place in the world situation, the US government decided to readjust its diplomatic policies and improve its relationship with China.
In 1971, Dr. Henry Kissinger visited China twice and paved the way for the visit by President Richard Nixon in the following year. During Nixon's state visit to China, the two countries issued the Sino-U.S. Joint Communiqu¨¦, which put an end to more than 20 years of mutual estrangement.
On January 1st, 1979, China and the United States officially established diplomatic ties, marking a turning point in their bilateral relations. From then on, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries have been continually enhanced, not just in the political field, but also in economy, trade, culture, sci-tech and some other aspects.
After China adopted the reform and opening up policy in the late 1970s, Chinese diplomacy entered a new stage of development on the basis of the "independent foreign policy of peace". Professor Zheng Qirong is Vice President of the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing.
"With the reform and opening up drive, China has become more open-minded to embrace the world. At the same time, its growing national strength has made the country more integrated into the global economy and actively involved in international affairs. China is able to take more initiative in its diplomatic efforts. As a result, Chinese diplomacy has developed extensively over the past three decades, from bilateralism to multilateral and multidirectional levels, and leading to China's rising status and influence on the world arena."
The scholar says China always attaches great importance to developing friendly relations with the rest of the world because the country cannot seek development without a peaceful and stable international environment.
"China has developed into an influential power in the world. As China is now tightly connected with the world, the country has been actively exploring its diplomacy in many fields and at different levels."
After entering the new century, China has followed the policy of harmonious diplomacy. At the same time, it's put forward the notion of "building a harmonious world". Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi says:
"In today's world, peace, cooperation and development represent the main theme of the times. Every country needs a harmonious world for its own development as well as for realizing common security and prosperity. To achieve this, all countries should uphold multilateralism, mutually beneficial co-operation and the sprit of inclusiveness."
So far, China has established diplomatic relations with 171 countries. It's taken part in more than 100 international government organizations, 300 plus international conventions and 22 UN peacekeeping missions.
From the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to the six-party talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, and from the Sino-African Cooperation Forum Beijing Summit to the Seventh Asia-Europe Meeting last October and the G20 London Summit this year, China has played a positive and constructive role in maintaining world peace and stability, and promoting common development.
China's diplomacy has grown more mature after going through a string of challenges and opportunities over the past few decades. As the largest developing country in the world, China has pledged to shoulder due responsibility to construct a healthy relationship with other countries and make greater contributions to the international community.
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