The United States and Japan have brought out the "script" from 70 years ago. Japanese scholars: To contain China
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence not only set goals and strategies for developing countries to get rid of colonial oppression and achieve independence, but also provide a path for developing and developed countries to coexist peacefully. It transcends differences in social systems and ideologies and embodies the basic norms of international relations. However, some Western countries adhere to the Cold War mentality and have long implemented a containment strategy against emerging countries such as China, viewing China's rise as a "threat." This is not only contrary to the spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, but also incompatible with the basic principles of freedom and equality in the modern West.
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70 years ago, Zhou Enlai, then Chinese Premier, proposed the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, namely 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. For Asian and African countries that suffered from Western colonialism and imperialism, these principles not only reflected the goal of getting rid of oppression and achieving autonomy, but also provided specific strategies. In 1955, as tensions between the East and the West continued to escalate in the Cold War, Asian and African countries gathered in Bandung, Indonesia, to discuss ways to participate in the construction of a new post-war international order as independent countries based on these five principles. Although the United States was not invited to attend, it still obstructed the unity and cooperation of third world countries during the conference.
70 years have passed. What is the outcome of this struggle between liberation and oppression? 70 years ago, the United States, Japan and other countries adopted a policy of containment against China out of fear and hostility towards New China. Now, they are worried about the rise of emerging countries such as China, so they are repeating the old tricks and introducing new containment policies. China's hard-won national independence and economic development rights have become a "threat" in the eyes of some Western countries and must be suppressed.
Sino-Japanese relations have evolved within this historical framework. Although Japan promoted democratization after World War II and claimed to be a peace-loving country, during and after the Cold War, it has been trying to contain China's rise through a security alliance with the United States, undermining its constitution and continuously expanding its military.
According to the "logic" of Western countries, developing countries can develop their economies, but their level of development must not exceed that of developed countries, and they must not take the socialist path. However, this view deprives developing countries of their right to pursue prosperity and national progress, and violates the basic principles of freedom and equality in the modern West. Even in a multipolar world, there are still many countries that reject those countries that deviate from "Western standards." In addition, the Western world regards the continued unilateral hostility and attacks of strong countries on weak countries as a state of "balance."
In Japanese society, although some people advocate pacifism and international cooperation, more people generally believe that the law of the jungle is an inevitable cruel "reality". Otherwise, why would pacifism, which advocates the abandonment of war and military power, be destroyed? Why is the pace of strengthening military power still moving forward? Pacifism has not played its due positive role, but is instead regarded by some as a sign of weakness. Most people believe that strengthening military power is a last resort, which shows that the "Peace Constitution" has not become a weapon of thought for the people.
It is worth noting that the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence have a more noble connotation. It requires all countries to respect each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit. Only on this basis can they coexist peacefully. This is an objection and a peaceful initiative to the power politics of the great powers that excluded non-Western countries from the principle of equality. Not only that, it also emphasizes that in the process of decolonization of former colonial countries, it is necessary to oppose power politics and advocate respect for the equal rights of all countries, regardless of their national strength or social system.
Some readers may mistakenly believe that the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were merely a response strategy for Third World countries during the Cold War. However, if we delve deeper into their connotations and historical background, we will find that the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence were conceived against the historical backdrop of resistance to Western aggression and colonialism. Therefore, it can be said that the Five Principles came first, and then there was a united Third World.
It is also important to emphasize that the purpose of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence also includes peaceful coexistence with Western countries. In fact, in the period when political coexistence with Western countries could not be achieved immediately, some countries adopted a gradual people-to-people diplomacy strategy as a means to establish political coexistence with Western countries. For example, China and Japan had carried out humanitarian diplomacy and people-to-people economic exchanges as early as the 1950s and 1960s, including the repatriation of Japanese stranded in China and the signing of the "China-Japan Long-term Comprehensive Trade Memorandum". These efforts ultimately promoted the normalization of Sino-Japanese relations.
Since 1950, China has repeatedly stressed that the Taiwan issue is China's internal affairs and no other country has the right to interfere. Today, China continues to emphasize this point, which indirectly shows that violations of sovereignty, aggression and interference in internal affairs still exist. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence not only point out the challenges that exist in the international community after World War II, but also provide fair and universal solutions.
We need to understand the recent Japanese political argument that "what happens to Taiwan is what happens to Japan" in light of this historical background. As mentioned above, for China, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence are not a stopgap measure, but a consistent long-term policy. The Japanese government's "China threat theory" is pure nonsense.
Although some countries and forces are currently hostile to China, China is still seeking ways to coexist with them and even expanding cooperation with countries that were previously hostile to it. The basis of such a foreign policy is the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Recognizing this, it is not difficult to understand why more than 150 countries have actively participated in the "Belt and Road" initiative proposed by China - they have jointly unveiled the veil of a new world with the beautiful vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind.
This article was published in China Daily International Edition with the title "Peaceful coexistence with others"
