China vows to continue strengthening its relationships with developing and neighboring countries while maintaining a "relatively stable framework" of relations with the world's major powers in the year 2000.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao made this remark on January 4 at his first regular press conference of the year, adding that China will adhere to Deng Xiaoping's diplomatic thoughts.

China will remain faithful to its independent foreign policy of peace, firmly defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, and resolutely push forward the peaceful reunification of the nation, he said.

"On the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, we are willing to energize our friendly cooperation with other countries in the world," Zhu pledged, vowing that China will continue to uphold justice, oppose hegemony and power politics, and safeguard world peace and stability to promote the common development of the human race.

China will strengthen its solidarity and cooperation with developing countries and continue to consolidate good-neighborly relations with neighboring countries, according to Zhu.

"We will try to maintain a relatively stable framework of relations with the world's major powers, improve and develop relations with European countries and other developed countries, and construct an international and neighboring environment of long- term peace and stability for China's reform and opening-up," he said.

China will take an active role in multilateral diplomatic activities, and firmly safeguard the purposes and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and universally acknowledged rules governing international relations, Zhu stated.

China pledges to dedicate itself to prompting the establishment of a just and reasonable new international political and economic order, and to building a new world of peace, security, and prosperity and stability, said the spokesman.