By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) - China’s President Xi Jinping Friday reiterated his call for an “equal and orderly” multipolar world.
“We need to uphold the principle of sovereign equality,” Xi told a conference in Beijing to mark 70 years of "five principles of peaceful coexistence."
Emphasizing the promotion of equal rights, opportunities, and norms for every country, Xi said these five principles “reject the big subduing the small, the strong bullying the weak, and the rich exploiting the poor.”
“An equal and orderly multipolar world means every country can find its place in a multipolar system and play its due role pursuant to international law, so that the process of multipolarization is stable and constructive on the whole,” said the Chinese leader, according to an official transcript of his speech.
China bases its foreign policy on these five principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual nonaggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.
This policy was put forward by former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai at a time when China was engaged in border discussions with India in the 1950s.
Calling for the need to cement the foundation of mutual respect, Xi said: “China’s resolve to stay on the path of peaceful development will not change.”
“We will never take the trodden path of colonial plundering, or the wrong path of seeking hegemony when one becomes strong,” he stressed.
“Countries must make equality, mutual respect, and mutual trust the ground rules of engagement,” Xi said, emphasizing the “golden rule” of non-interference.
He said the nations need to “turn the vision for peace and security into reality.”
“At this historic moment when mankind have to choose between peace and war, prosperity and recession, unity and confrontation, we must champion more than ever the essence of the five principles of peaceful coexistence,” said the Chinese leader.
As China's Communist Party is set to hold its policy-making convention next month, Xi said: "We are planning to take, and in some cases already taking, major steps to further deepen reform across the board and expand institutional opening up."
"We will build a business environment that is more solidly based on market and rule of law and is up to international standards," he said, criticizing "small yard with high fences," decoupling, and severing industrial and supply chains.
Addressing Global South, Xi said these nations should “be more open and more inclusive” and “together, we should be the staunch force for peace."
Xi also announced several measures to support China’s cooperation with these nations, including establishing a Global South research center, scholarships, and training opportunities, as well as launching a youth leaders’ program.