Zhou Enlai delivers a speech at the Asian-African Conference, or Bandung Conference, in Indonesia in 1955. Premier Zhou proposed the guidelines of "seeking common ground while shelving differences" and further expounded the five principles of peaceful coexistence during the conference. Photo: Zhang Qingmin/IC

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a conference marking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and deliver an important speech on Friday in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday. Experts said the conference and the voice from China will have great significance to the current international relations, and will help the world better understand China's diplomatic thoughts from the "Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence" to "building a community with a shared future for mankind."  

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. China will hold the conference and other commemorative events on Friday in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the announcement on Tuesday.

Chinese analysts said the reason why the world is experiencing great turbulence today is that a few countries, especially the only superpower of the world and some of its allies, have failed to fulfil the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, but only seek hegemony and to preserve their dominance over the international order by interfering in other countries' internal affairs and pushing bloc confrontation to worsen geopolitical situation worldwide.

The late Chinese premier Zhou Enlai first put forward the five principles of "mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, nonaggression, noninterference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence." 

Over the past 70 years, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have been widely accepted and recognized by countries in the world and have become basic norms governing international relations and basic principles of international law, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry in a statement about the conference that will be held in Beijing on Friday.

In order to carry forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence under the new circumstances, jointly deal with the multiple crises and challenges in the world today, and respond to the call of people around the world for peace, development and cooperation, China will hold a commemorative event in Beijing on Friday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the issuance of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. The event will focus on the theme "From the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind."  

President Xi will attend the conference and deliver a key note speech. Chinese Premier Li Qiang will chair the conference. Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend and address a luncheon. Former political leaders, experts and scholars, friendly personages, media and business representatives from many countries will be invited to attend the commemorative conference and to address the luncheon and sub-forums respectively. 

"We look forward to engaging in full discussion with the participants the theme of the commemorative activities, stick to the original intention of putting forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and pool wisdom and strength for the international community to jointly tackle crises and challenges and create a better future for mankind," said the statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Tuesday that "the world is experiencing great turbulence, and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence has actually provided a foundation and direction for the world to restore stability and peace."

A key reason why many countries have suffered from chaos, conflicts, civil wars and color revolutions in recent years is that some countries, including the US and some of its allies, have not follow the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, they instigate conflicts between countries and use the conflicts to seek benefits, and they are still trying to resist the multipolarization of the world, said experts.

"China's latest idea of building a community with a shared future for mankind has inherited and developed the spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and the five principles laid the foundation for the successful construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. The conference that will be held in Beijing is a highly anticipated event, and a key window for the world to learn China's latest diplomatic thoughts and views on global issues," Li noted.