Continuing to implement an independent and peaceful foreign policy

Last year, in face of the drastic changes in the international situation, China adhere to an independent foreign policy of peace, worked to maintain world peace, promoted common development, strengthened its friendly cooperative relations with other countries in the world and further raised its international standing.

Mankind is at the threshold of the 21st century. The Chinese government will continue to implement Deng Xiaoping's thinking on diplomatic work, and will, as always, adhere to an independent foreign policy of peace, resolutely safeguard China's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, oppose hegemonism and work to maintain world peace.

We will unswervingly take strengthening and consolidating unity and cooperation with the vast number of developing countries as the basis of our diplomatic work. On the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence we will continue to develop neighborly and friendly relations with the surrounding countries. We will engage in exchange and cooperation with all other countries in the world in economic, trade, scientific, technological, cultural and other fields on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. China will play an active part in the affairs of the United Nations and participate in multilateral cooperation with a positive and pragmatic attitude. China will work with the countries concerned to guard against and defuse financial risks and promote steady economic growth in Asia and the world as a whole. We will work to expedite the establishment of a just and equitable new our due contribution to the lofty cause of peace and development of mankind.



CHINA MAINTAINS ACTIVE PRESENCE IN ULTILATERAL-DIPLAMACY

The Chinese government has all along actively involved itself in international affairs. Following the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese government successively attended the Geneva Conference on the Korean Issues, the Geneva Conference on Indochina and the Afro-Asian Conference and contributed much to the success of these conferences. China consistently stands for disarmament. Since the 1950s, the Chinese government has repeatedly called for the complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons and supported the call for establishing peace zone and nuclear weapon free zone made by countries and regions concerned. After resuming its lawful seat at the United Nations in 1971, China has porgressively participated in activities in various fields of multilateral-diplomacy sponsored buy the United Nations. China is opposed to colonialism, hegemony and power politics and supports the reasonable stand of the developing countries on establishing a new international political and economic order. In 1974, Deng xiaoping, then Vice Premier of the Chinese government, attended the Sixth Special session of the UN General Assembly at which he delivered an important speech entitled Establish a New International Economic Order and Oppose Hegemony. The speech produce far reaching impact in the international community.



Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China

Since it embarked on the program of reform and opening-up in 1978, China has taken an active part in multilateral-diplomacy. Particularly since it incorporated the active participation in multilateral-diplomacy as a key aspect of the general policy of independence and peace in the mid-1980s, China has become an increasingly active participant in multilateral-diplomacy.



Firmly oppose hegemony and power politics in various manifestations and safeguard the interests of the developing countries

Since the end of the Cold War, some Western countries have attempted to interfere in the internal affairs of the developing countries buy means of multilateral-diplomacy under various pretexts. Adhering to the principle of respecting national sovereignty and independence, non-interference in others' internal affairs and equality and mutual benefit, China, together with other developing countries, has stood up against such attempts. When the new secretary general of the United Nations was due for election in 1981, China, siding with the developing countries, was instrumental in ensuring the election of the candidate endorsed by the developing countries. On the reform of the United Nations, China stresses the need to fully heed the views of the developing countries and calls for adopting a reform plan acceptable to all the parties concerned through extensive consultation. On the question of the UN budget, China holds that the principle of paying according to one's capability should be followed and is oppose to attempt by a country to impose its internal legislation on the United Nations. Firmly supporting the reasonable call by the developing countries for establishing a new international economic order, China has joined the UN sponsored initiatives for promoting North-south dialogue and enhancing South-south cooperation. It is the consistent stand of China that the developing countries which make up the vast majority of the UN members should play a greater role in international affairs. China enjoys good cooperation with Group of 77 and has joined the Non-aligned Movement as an observer.



Assume its responsibility as a permanent member of the UN Security Council in a serious and responsible manner and play a unique role for the fair and reasonable resolution of major regional conflicts

On the Iran-Iraq War, China actively joined the diplomatic efforts made by the Security Council and particularly its permanent members in seeking an end to the war. It contributed its part to the adoption of the No.598 Security Council Resolution and the cease-fire between Iran and Iraq in 1987. On the Cambodian issue, China involved itself from the very beginning in the UN efforts for seeking a political solution to the issue. After repeated consultations among China and other UN Security Council permanent members, the framework agreement on the comprehensive and just settlement of the Cambodian issue was reached. China also contributed greatly to signing of the Paris peace agreement on Cambodia which laid the foundation for the successful settlement of the Cambodian issue. On the Iraqi question, China has, upholding justice and taking a fair position, striven for the peaceful settlement of the Iraq weapons inspection crisis. It urged the permanent members of the UN Security Council to unanimously support UN Secretary General Anna in undertaking a mediation trip to Baghdad. China has in recent years sent many officials to take part in the UN peace keeping operations, the UN sponsored election supervision and weapon inspection in Iraq, fully demonstrating its support to the peace cause of the United Nations.



Take an active part in all international disarmament activities and promote the international disarmament process

Since 1978, China has maintained that the two superpowers who bear special responsibility in disarmament should take the lead in disarmament. This position of China's has won extensive international support. Starting from 1986, China for five years running sponsored resolutions on nuclear and conventional disarmament at the United Nations General Assembly, which were all adopted with unanimous support. China has actively taken part in multilateral disarmament conferences and negotiations and contributed its due share to the conclusion of the Convention on Banning Chemical Weapons and the Treaty on the Comprehensive Ban of Nuclear Tests. China is an active participant in both bilateral and multilateral security dialogue adoption of new security concepts and supports the proposals on establishing nuclear weapon free zones in various regions of the world. China has acceded to a series of international treaties on arms control. It undertook two major initiatives to cut the number of its armed forces: a decision to cut its military forces by one million in 1985 and a decision to further cut its military by half a million in 1997.



Take an active part in the activities in the economic and social fields and promote international development and cooperation

With the exception of the World Trade Organization, China is now a member of all the major inter-governmental economic organizations. Over the years, it has been an active participant in the discussions of the multilateral economic organizations on the world economic si9tuation, economic development of the developing countries and their debt burden, trade and finance and technology transfer. China calls for resolving the urgent issues faced by the developing countries on a priority basis. In the fields of international environmental protection, food, crime prevention, drug trafficking, refugees, and women, China has actively attended the relevant international confereces and taken part in the drafting of conference documents , playing an active role in resolving the key issues facing the human society. In September 1995, China successfully hosted the Fourth World Conference on Women, the largest UN conference on women ever held. The Beijing Declaration and Plan of Action adopted by the Conference will give a major impetus to the development of the worlld cause of women in the next century and to the advancement of women's cause in China. China enjoys good relations of cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies and has fullly engaged itself in multilateral diplomacy at both international and regional levels. Since the 1990', in paricular, China has actively in volved itself in promoting regtioanl cooperation. The APEC approach and the principle of seeking common ground and setting aside fifferences and enhancing two-way cooperation advocated by China have played an important role in ensuring the sound progresso of APEC and the Asina-Euro Conference.



Firmly uphold national sovereignty and dignity

Since 1990, china had for seven years running defeated the anti-China resolutions sponsored by Western countries at the UN Human Right Commission, thus upholding China's sovereignty and dignity. One the other hand , China has actively entered into exchanges and cooperation on human rights with the United Nations and other countries, including entering into dialogue on human rights with the Western countries so as to enhance mutual understanding. In 1998, both the European Union and the United States announced at the UN Human Rights Commission that they would stop sponsoring anti-China resolutions.