The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence
As the wave of decolonization swept the world after World War II, vigorous movements for national liberation surged in Asia, Africa and Latin America in the 1950s, and the new states all wanted equal international relationships. Complying with this trend, China, India and Burma jointly proposed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, namely, mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.
During the negotiations with India in December 1953, Zhou Enlai, on behalf of the Chinese government, first proposed "Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence," and the Indian side responded positively. These principles were incorporated into the two countries' agreement on trade and intercourse between the Tibet region of China and India in April 1954. They became the basic norms the People's Republic followed in handling state-to-state relations as it stepped onto the international stage.
In June 1954, China published joint statements with India and Burma, each of which affirmed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as guiding principles for bilateral relations and proposed making them norms governing international relations. The enunciation of these principles was a major initiative in the history of international relations and a significant contribution to the building of a new form of just and equitable international relations. Since then, these five principles have taken roots in the three countries and spread to other countries in Asia and the rest of the world.
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have become norms for handling international relations and general principles of international law, which emphasize the importance of respect for sovereignty, justice, democracy and rule of law. Their essence is that all sovereign countries are equal, and no country has the right to exercise a monopoly over international affairs. These principles provide the means for developing countries to defend their sovereignty and independence, a new approach to peaceful solution of problems and international disputes carried over from history, and positive step toward building a just and rational international political and economic order.
China has been an active advocate and a firm promoter of these five principles. They have been written into China's Constitution and serve as the cornerstone of China's foreign policy. China will continue to pursue peaceful development, to develop friendly cooperation with other countries on the basis of these principles, and to work with the international community to bring lasting peace, prosperity, and harmony to the world.
和平共处五项原则
20世纪50年代，在第二次世界大战结束后兴起的非殖民化运动中，亚非拉民族独立解放事业蓬勃发展，新生的国家渴望建立平等的国际关系。中国、印度、缅甸顺应这一历史潮流，共同倡导了互相尊重主权和领土完整、互不侵犯、互不干涉内政、平等互利、和平共处五项原则。
1953年12月，在中国政府和印度政府的谈判中，周恩来代表中国政府首次提出和平共处五项原则，得到印度方面的赞同。1954年4月，这五项原则正式写入中印双方达成的《关于中国西藏地方和印度之间的通商和交通协定》的序言中。由此，和平共处五项原则成为新中国登上国际舞台，处理国与国之间关系的基本准则。
1954年6月，中印、中缅分别发表联合声明，确认这五项原则将在相互关系以及各自国家同亚洲及世界其他国家的关系中予以适用。这是国际关系史上的重大创举，为推动建立公正合理的新型国际关系作出了历史性贡献。自此之后，和平共处五项原则不仅在中国、印度、缅甸生根发芽、深入人心，而且走向亚洲、走向世界。
和平共处五项原则集中体现了主权、正义、民主、法治的价值观，成为国际关系基本准则和国际法基本原则。和平共处五项原则的精髓，就是所有国家主权一律平等，反对任何国家垄断国际事务。这些原则为广大发展中国家捍卫国家主权和独立提供了强大思想武器，为和平解决国家间历史遗留问题及国际争端开辟了崭新道路，为推动建立更加公正合理的国际政治经济秩序发挥了积极作用。
中国是和平共处五项原则的积极倡导者和坚定实践者。和平共处五项原则载入了中国宪法，是中国外交政策的基石。中国将坚定不移走和平发展道路，坚定不移在和平共处五项原则基础上发展同世界各国的友好合作，同国际社会一道，推动建设持久和平、共同繁荣的和谐世界。