V. Adhering to an Independent Foreign Policy

CHINA's future is closely bound up with that of the world as a whole. The successes China has achieved in its revolution and construction provide a powerful support to the world's movement for progress and a bright future, and conversely, our successes would have been impossible without the struggles of the people of other countries for a bright future. China has received help from other countries and peoples, and in turn has helped others. In the early years of our People's Republic, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: "Our general task is to unite the whole people and win the support of all our friends abroad in the struggle to build a great socialist country, defend world peace and advance the cause of human progress. [8]Integration of patriotism with internationalism has always been our basic point of departure in handling our external relations.

Being patriots, we do not tolerate any encroachment on China's national dignity or interests. Being internationalists, we are deeply aware that China's national interests cannot be fully realized in separation from the overall interests of mankind. Our adherence to an independent foreign policy accords with the discharging of our lofty international duty to safeguard world peace and promote human progress. In the 33 years since the founding of our People's Republic, we have shown the world by deeds that China never attaches itself to any big power or group of powers, and never yields to pressure from any big power. China's foreign policy is based on the scientific theories of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought, and it proceeds from the fundamental interests of the people of China and the rest of the world. It follows an overall long-term strategy, and is definitely not swayed by expediency or by anybody's instigation or provocation. Because we have firmly applied the basic principles of our foreign policy formulated by the late Comrades Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, socialist New China has gained prestige, made friends throughout the world and maintained its dignity in its relations with foreign countries.

The five principles of 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 have consistently guided China in its effort to develop relations with other countries. Having suffered aggression and oppression for over a century, the Chinese people will never again allow themselves to be humiliated as they were before, nor will they subject other nations to such humiliation. The founding of our People's Republic has removed the social causes both of China's submission to foreign aggression and of any possibility of China committing aggression abroad. Frederick Engels said: "A nation cannot become free and at the same time continue to oppress other nations. [9] This is an incontestable truth. We Marxist-Leninists are convinced that communism will ultimately be realized throughout the world. However, revolution cannot be exported but can occur only by the choice of the people of the country concerned. It is on the basis of this understanding that we have always abided by the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. We do not station a single soldier abroad, nor have we occupied a single inch of foreign land. We have never infringed upon the sovereignty of another country, or imposed an unequal relationship upon it. In no circumstances will we seek hegemony.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence are applicable to our relations with all countries, including socialist countries. On the basis of these principles we have in the past 33 years established diplomatic relations with 125 countries. With the friendly socialist countries of Korea, Romania and Yugoslavia we maintain close co-operation and are steadily strengthening and developing ties of unity and friendship. China and many other developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America sympathize with and support one another, and have enhanced their co-operation in all fields. Many Western countries have social systems different from China's, yet we share a common desire to safeguard world peace and a common interest in developing our economic and cultural co-operation, for which the potentials are great, and we have maintained good relations over the years. The past few years have also seen some development in our relations with East European countries.

Japan is China's neighbour. Since ancient times, there have been frequent exchanges and a profound friendship between the Chinese and Japanese peoples. But, during 100 years of modern history, the Japanese militarists unleashed one war of aggression after another against China, inflicting colossal calamities on the Chinese people and grievous damage on the Japanese people themselves. Thanks to long years of joint efforts made by the Chinese and Japanese peoples, state relations were eventually normalized 10 years ago. The development of relations of peace and friendship, equality and mutual benefit, and prolonged stability between China and Japan is in accord with the long-term interests of the two peoples and conducive to the peace and stability of the Asian-Pacific region. Now some forces in Japan are whitewashing the past Japanese aggressions against China and other East Asian countries and are carrying out activities for the revival of Japanese militarism. These dangerous developments cannot'but put the people of China, Japan and other countries sharply on the alert. Together with the Japanese people and with far-sighted Japanese public figures in and out of government, we will work to eliminate all hindrances to the relations between our two countries and make the friendship between our two peoples flourish from generation to generation.