China's Independent Foreign Policy of Peace | Relations With Major Powers  |  Relations With Neighboring Countries  |Relations With Developing Countries| China's Military Diplomacy in 2003

China's Independent Foreign Policy of Peace

China unswervingly pursues an independent foreign policy of peace. The fundamental goals of this policy are to preserve China's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, create a favorable international environment for its reform and opening up and modernization drive, maintain world peace and propel common development. The main content of this policy includes:

1. China has continuously adhered to the principle of independence.

2. China opposes hegemonism and preserves world peace.

3. China actively facilitates the establishment of a new international political and economic order that is fair and rational.

4. China is ready to establish and develop friendly relations of cooperation with all countries on the basis of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affair, equality and mutual benefits, and peaceful coexistence.

5. China pursues a policy of all-dimensional opening up to the outside world. It is ready to develop, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, extensive trade relations, economic and technological cooperation and scientific and cultural exchanges with other countries and regions around the world, so as to promote common prosperity.

6. China takes an active part in multilateral diplomatic activities and is a staunch force in preserving world peace and facilitating common development.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China actively participates in political solution of regional hot spots. China's peacekeepers have joined UN-sponsored operations. China supports the reform of the UN and a continued important role of the UN and other multilateral organs in international affairs. China is firmly opposed to all forms of terrorism and has made important contributions to international anti-terrorist cooperation.

China devotes itself actively to pushing forward the cause of international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. With regard to non-proliferation, China has all along strictly abided by its international obligations and made active efforts in legislation on non-proliferation. It issued China's Non-Proliferation Policy and Measures white paper in December 2003.

By the end of 2003, China has established diplomatic relations with 164 countries. Because the Kiribati Government established so-called "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan and obstinately acted to make "two Chinas" regardless of China-Kiribati friendly relations and oppositions from various sides in Kiribati, which has severely damaged Sino-Kiribati relations and bilateral friendship, the Chinese Government decided to cease diplomatic relations with Kiribati on November 29, 2003, and since then, implementation of all agreements between the two governments stopped immediately.

New Leadership's Debut on the International Stage

At the First Session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) held in Beijing in March 2003, a new leadership of the country was elected. Just during that period, the whole country was stricken by SARS. Some leaders or delegations of other countries canceled or postponed their visits to China, and some international conferences to be held in China had to be rescheduled. The Chinese Government fully understood and respected such decisions. According to statistics, 19 countries adjusted the time of their high-level visits to China during that time.

China's new leadership made its first appearance on international occasions at the SARS period.

From May 26 to June 5, 2003, President Hu Jintao paid a state visit to Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. He also attended the Third Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Moscow, celebrations marking the 300th anniversary of Russian city St. Petersburg and the South-North leaders' informal dialogue meeting in French spa town Evian. In 11 days, President Hu met with more than 50 leaders of countries of Europe, Asia and Africa.

On April 29, Premier Wen Jiabao headed a delegation to attend the China-ASEAN leaders' special meeting on SARS in Bangkok, capital of Thailand.
On May 19-28, Vice Premier and Health Minister Wu Yi attended the 56th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

Since the beginning of 2003, the international situation has been changing profoundly. As a new international structure has not yet been formed, major forces in the international community have stepped up their reorganization and redistribution of interests, and adjustment of relations among big powers are accelerated.

Given the complicated and changing international situation, the Chinese leaders remain calm-minded in observing and dealing with various challenges. In a spirit of mutual respect and seeking common grounds while reserving differences, they focus on seizing and making full use of the current important period of strategic opportunities, and pay great attention to properly handling relations between the arguments to build a multi-polar or a single-polar world, between accelerating domestic development and meeting challenges arising from economic globalization, and between defending fundamental interests of the Chinese nation and people and prompting the common interests of the mankind. Through a series of bilateral or multilateral diplomatic activities, the country firmly seizes the initiative in dealing with the complicated international situation and the complexities of international affairs.