China gave birth to one of the four greatest ancient civilizations of the world and has a recorded history of about 4,000 years. In feudal times the Chinese created a civilization that led the world, but China lagged behind the West after the Industrial Revolution. In 1840 Britain launched the Opium War and forced open the door of China with its warships and cannons. After that, other Western powers such as France, Russia, Japan, Germany and the United States also invaded China successively, and as a result the country lost almost all of its national sovereignty. Statistics show that between 1840 and 1949, the imperialist powers had forced 1,175 unequal treaties on China. The history of China's diplomacy in that period of more than a century was full of humiliation.

To fight for national independence and liberation and for democracy and freedom, the Chinese people made endless sacrifices. In 1921 the Communist Party of China was set up. Led by the Communist Party, the Chinese people overthrew the rule of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism after 28 years of armed struggle, and founded the People's Republic of China in 1949. Thereupon the Chinese people stood up and became masters of their own destiny, and China's diplomacy began a new chapter.

After the founding of New China, the basic objectives of its diplomacy included: to secure national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, maintain world peace, and strive for an international environment favorable to the country's development. At that time the socialist countries headed by the Soviet Union and the imperialist countries headed by the United States were in relentless confrontation. The United States refused to recognize the Government of the People's Republic of China, and it even went further to impose political containment, economic blockade and military threat against China. In face of such a situation, China openly declared that it sided with the socialist camp, strived to enhance the alliance with the Soviet Union and other socialist countries, and firmly opposed the US policy of aggression and war. The Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which served as the interim Constitution in the early days of the People's Republic, stipulates, "The principle of the foreign policy of the People's Republic of China is the protection of the independence, freedom, integrity of territory and sovereignty of the country, upholding of lasting international peace and friendly cooperation between the peoples of all countries, and opposition to the imperialist policy of aggression and war."

In conformity with new changes, the new Constitution enacted in 1982 summarizes the basic principles of China's foreign policy as the following: "China adheres to an independent foreign policy as well as to 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 in developing diplomatic relations and economic and cultural exchanges with other countries; China consistently opposes imperialism, hegemonism and colonialism, works to strengthen unity with the people of other countries, supports the oppressed nations and the developing countries in their just struggle to win and preserve national independence and develop their national economies, and strives to safeguard world peace and promote the cause of human progress."

In the past two decades and more, great changes have taken place in China and the world, and the Chinese Government has accordingly adjusted and developed the basic principles of its foreign policy. In
short, China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace. The basic objectives of this policy are to safeguard China's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, promote friendly exchanges and cooperation with other countries, work for a better international and peripheral environment for the country's reform, opening up and modernization drive, maintain world peace, and promote common
development. This policy includes the following:

1. Follow the principle of independence. In all international affairs, China decides its own stance and policy in the fundamental interests of the people of China and the world and according to the merits of issues concerned, it will not succumb to any external pressure, and it will not ally itself with any large country or any group of countries.

2. Oppose hegemonism and maintain world peace. China pursues a foreign policy of peace, and it will not go in for any military bloc, arms race or military expansion. China holds that countries should resolve their disputes and conflicts peacefully through consultation, no country should resort to the use or threat of force or interfere in the internal affairs of other countries on any pretext, and no country should, using its strength at will, bully, invade or subvert any other country. China has never forced its social system or ideology on any other country, nor will it allow others to impose their social systems or ideologies on itself. China will never seek hegemony.

3. Establish and develop relations of friendship and cooperation with all other countries on the basis of the 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.

China has worked energetically to develop good-neighborly relations of friendship with neighboring countries, following the principle of good-neighborly relationship and good partnership and the policy of promoting a neighborhood of amity, stability and prosperity. China has established or resumed normal relations with all its neighbors, and solved problems left over from the past with most of the neighboring countries.

To strengthen solidarity and cooperation with developing countries is an underpinning principle for China's foreign policy. As they had similar destinies in the past and share common tasks of safeguarding national independence and promoting economic development, China and other developing countries have a solid foundation and bright prospects for cooperation.

China attaches importance to improving its relations with developed countries and strives to identify and expand areas where their interests meet. China holds: state-to-state relations should transcend their differences in social system and ideology; countries should respect each other, seek common ground while shelving differences, and expand cooperation for mutual benefit; and countries should strive to gradually resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation on the basis of equality and mutual respect, so as to promote steady growth of their relations.

4. Maintain the authority and the role of the United Nations, promote multi-polarity of the world, advocate democracy in international relations and diversity in modes of development, and push economic globalization toward common prosperity of all countries. China adheres to a new concept of security based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination, opposes terrorism in all forms, and works continuously for a new international political and economic order that is just and rational. China takes an active part in multilateral diplomacy with the United Nations at the core, and engages in international cooperation in the areas of counterterrorism, arms control, peace keeping, development, human rights,
justice, and environment.

5. Open to the rest of the world in an all-round way, and engage in trade, economic and technological cooperation and scientific and cultural exchanges with other countries and regions on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, so as to promote common prosperity.

6. Safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese legal entities and citizens in the world in accordance with the principle of the people first and governance for the people.

The Chinese Government has scored great achievements in pursuing its independent foreign policy of peace. By September 2004, China had established diplomatic relations with 165 countries and consular ties with the principality of Monaco; it had joined 135 inter-governmental organizations in the world, engaged in economic and cultural exchanges with over 220 countries and regions, and established scientific and technological cooperation relations with 152 countries and regions. China now exerts a great influence on and enjoys a high prestige in international affairs.