China's Peaceful Development Road
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-22 11:42

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.