China on Thursday, December 22, 2005 issued a white paper on its
peaceful development, stating that it is the inevitable way for the country to
achieve modernization. The 32-page white paper, titled "China's Peaceful
Development Road" and published by the Information Office of China's State
Council, fully explains the inevitability for the country to pursue peaceful
development. The following is the full text of the white paper.
China's Peaceful Development
Road
I. Peaceful Development Is the Inevitable
Way for China's Modernization
To achieve peaceful development is a sincere hope and unremitting pursuit of
the Chinese people. Since the policies of reform and opening-up were introduced
at the end of the 1970s, China has successfully embarked on a road of peaceful
development compatible with its national conditions and characteristics of the
times. Along this road, the Chinese people are working hard to build China into
a prosperous, powerful, democratic, civilized and harmonious modern country, and
continually making new contributions to human progress with China's own
development.
Looking back upon history, basing itself on the present reality and looking
forward to the future, China will unswervingly follow the road of peaceful
development, making great efforts to achieve a peaceful, open, cooperative and
harmonious development.
- Striving for a peaceful international environment to develop itself, and
promoting world peace through its own development;
- Achieving development by relying on itself, together with reform and
innovation, while persisting in the policy of opening-up;
- Conforming to the trend of economic globalization, and striving to achieve
mutually beneficial common development with other countries;
- Sticking to peace, development and cooperation, and, together with all
other countries, devoting itself to building a harmonious world marked by
sustained peace and common prosperity.
Peace, opening-up, cooperation, harmony and win-win are our policy, our idea,
our principle and our pursuit. To take the road of peaceful development is to
unify domestic development with opening to the outside world, linking the
development of China with that of the rest of the world, and combining the
fundamental interests of the Chinese people with the common interests of all
peoples throughout the world. China persists in its pursuit of harmony and
development internally while pursuing peace and development externally; the two
aspects, closely linked and organically united, are an integrated whole, and
will help to build a harmonious world of sustained peace and common prosperity.
China's road of peaceful development is a brand-new one for mankind in
pursuit of civilization and progress, the inevitable way for China to achieve
modernization, and a serious choice and solemn promise made by the Chinese
government and the Chinese people.
- It is an inevitable choice based on its national conditions that China
persists unswervingly in taking the road of peaceful development. During the
100-odd years following the Opium War in 1840, China suffered humiliation and
insult from big powers. And thus, ever since the advent of modern times, it has
become the assiduously sought goal of the Chinese people to eliminate war,
maintain peace, and build a country of independence and prosperity, and a
comfortable and happy life for the people. Although it has made enormous
achievements in development, China, with a large population, a weak economic
foundation and unbalanced development, is still the largest developing country
in the world. It is the central task of China to promote economic and social
development while continuously improving its people's life. To stick to the road
of peaceful development is the inevitable way for China to attain national
prosperity and strength, and its people's happiness. What the Chinese people
need and cherish most is a peaceful international environment. They are willing
to do their best to make energetic contributions for the common development of
all countries.
- It is an inevitable choice based on China's historical and cultural
tradition that China persists unswervingly in taking the road of peaceful
development. The Chinese nation has always been a peace-loving one. Chinese
culture is a pacific culture. The spirit of the Chinese people has always
featured their longing for peace and pursuit of harmony. Six hundred years ago,
Zheng He (1371-1435), the famous navigator of the Ming Dynasty, led the then
largest fleet in the world and made seven voyages to the "Western Seas,"
reaching more than 30 countries and regions in Asia and Africa. What he took to
the places he visited were tea, chinaware, silk and technology, but did not
occupy an inch of any other's land. What he brought to the outside world was
peace and civilization, which fully reflects the good faith of the ancient
Chinese people in strengthening exchanges with relevant countries and their
peoples. Based on the present reality, China's development has not only
benefited the 1.3 billion Chinese people, but also brought large markets and
development opportunities for countries throughout the world. China's
development also helps to enhance the force for peace in the world.
- It is an inevitable choice based on the present world development trend
that China persists unswervingly in taking the road of peaceful development. It
is the common wish of the people throughout the world and an irresistible
historical trend to pursue peace, promote development and seek cooperation. In
particular, further development of multi-polarization and economic globalization
has brought new opportunities for world peace and development, and thus it is
possible to strive for a long-term peaceful international environment.
Meanwhile, China is clearly aware that the world is still troubled by many
factors of instability and uncertainty, and mankind still faces many severe
challenges. However, there are more opportunities than challenges, and as long
as all countries work together we can gradually attain the goal of building a
harmonious world of sustained peace and common prosperity. For many years, China
has consistently followed an independent foreign policy of peace, the purpose of
which is to safeguard world peace and promote common development. As early as in
1974, when China resumed its membership in the United Nations, Deng Xiaoping
proclaimed to the world that China would never seek hegemony. Since the policies
of reform and opening-up were introduced, China, keeping in view the changes in
the international situation, has upheld the important strategic judgment that
peace and development are the theme of the present times, and declared on many
occasions that China did not seek hegemony in the past, nor does it now, and
will not do so in the future when it gets stronger. China's development will
never pose a threat to anyone; instead, it can bring more development
opportunities and bigger markets for the rest of the world. Facts prove that
China's economic development is becoming an important impetus for economic
growth in the Asia-Pacific region and even the world as a whole. It has become
the national determination of China to safeguard world peace and promote common
development.
At present, the Chinese people are working hard to build a moderately
well-off society in an all-round way. Not long ago, the Fifth Plenary Session of
the 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China set the main targets
for China's economic and social development from 2006 to 2010, of which the
principal economic target is to double the 2000 per-capita GDP by 2010 on the
basis of optimizing its structures, increasing economic returns and reducing
consumption; and enhance substantially the resource utilization ratio, and by
2010 reduce the 2005 per-unit GDP resource consumption by around 20 percent. To
attain this target, China, guided by the scientific concept of development with
people first, overall coordination and sustainable development at the core, will
promote the overall development of its economy, politics, culture and society.
While seeking development by relying primarily on its own strength, China sticks
to the policy of opening-up, engages in extensive international economic and
technological cooperation, and shares with all other countries the fruits of
mankind's civilization; respects and gives consideration to others' interests,
works with other countries to solve the disputes and problems cropping up in
cooperation, and strives to achieve mutual benefit and common development;
abides by its international obligations and commitments, actively participates
in international systems and world affairs, and endeavors to play a constructive
and locomotive role; and gets along with all other countries equally and
develops friendly relations with them on the basis of the Five Principles of
Peaceful Coexistence.
