Peaceful Development for Domestic Stability and Global Cooperation

By XU JIN

PEACEFUL development is a main principle of the Communist Party of China （CPC） and Chinas basic position as a participant in international affairs.

Peaceful development is the CPCs fundamental prediction for the theme of our time. The CPC has always held that scientific observation and analysis of the characteristics of our time， as well as the correct assessment and mastery of that theme， are the basis for formulating domestic and foreign policies.

The characteristics of the times always change alongside the developments of global affairs. After the reform and opening-up began， Deng Xiaoping was the first to identify the change of the theme of our time and elaborate on it. Towards the late 1970s， Deng observed the new changes in the international situation and formed a new assessment of the challenges to be faced， putting forward the assessment in 1977 that “it is possible to win a delay in the outbreak of war.”

In March 1985， he pointed out， “The two really great issues confronting the world today， issues of global strategic significance， are： first， peace， and second， economic development. The first involves East-West relations， while the second involves North-South relations. In short， countries in the East， West， North， and South are all involved， but the North-South relations are the key question.” Though Deng did not explicitly say that peaceful development was the theme of his time， a series of his statements on peace and development flatly negated the assessment of “war and revolution” as the theme of the time over 30 years since the founding of the Peoples Republic of China.

It was on the basis of this observation of Deng that China emphasized the establishment and development of friendly and cooperative relations with other countries based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. This policy adjustment has created a favorable international environment for Chinas modernization drive. As a result， the concept of peaceful development has become the cornerstone of Chinas international strategy since the reform and opening-up. Since the 13th National Congress of the CPC， all the party congresses have emphasized that we are in an era of peace and development. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC， the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping as general secretary has maintained this basic judgment for the theme of this era. At the same time， it emphasizes that the world is undergoing extensive and profound changes， and the trends of economic globalization， political multi-polarization， cultural diversity， and broad IT application across the society are gaining momentum.

Pursuing peaceful development is also the fundamental way to build socialism with Chinese characteristics. The path of peaceful development can be summed up as follows： Developing China through maintaining world peace and vice versa； while emphasizing the importance of relying on our own strength， reform， and innovation to achieve development， we should remain open to the outside world and learn from the strengths of other countries； we need to follow the trend of economic globalization and seek mutual benefit and common development with other countries； we also should work with the international community to build a com-munity with a shared future for mankind.

Unwaveringly going down the path of peaceful development is a strategic choice that China has made in accordance with the trend of our time and its fundamental interests. With the rapid rise of China in recent history， the outside world is increasingly concerned whether China will always adhere to the path of peaceful development. At this turning point in history， President Xi Jinping stated clearly that “Chinas prosperity is the trend， but it is not a historical law that a strong country should seek hegemony.” He stressed that China has advocated since ancient times that “the strong and rich should not bully the weak and the poor，” a statement which strongly counters the “China threat” theory and reinforces the confidence of other countries in Chinas commitment to peaceful development. To achieve the “two centenary goals，” China must also adhere to the path of peaceful development.

Since the founding of the PRC， especially after the reform and opening-up set in， Chinas diplomatic practice has proved that Chinas decision to pursue peaceful development in line with the trend of our times， its own national conditions， social system， and cultural traditions is the correct choice. First of all， choosing the path of peaceful development has greatly changed Chinas economic and social landscape， significantly enhanced its overall national strength， and improved its relations with other countries in the world. Second， Chinas choice of peaceful development has driven the development of its neighbors and the rest of the world， safeguarding regional and world peace. Finally， following the path of peaceful development is key to promoting a long-term stable domestic environment and peaceful foreign atmosphere for China. Given that China is still the largest developing country in the world， to improve the living standards of its 1.4 billion people， it still needs to work hard and make long-term efforts. General Secretary Xi stressed that “two conditions must be satisfied in order for China to concentrate on its development， one is a harmonious and stable domestic environment， and the other is a peaceful international environment.” To create and maintain these two basic conditions， we must continue to adhere to the path of peaceful development.

To achieve peaceful development， China attaches great importance to creating the necessary social conditions for peace through a sound development model， adheres to fairness and inclusiveness， and is building a balanced development model that benefits all. China calls for inclusive and common development. It calls for more balanced development， more equal opportunities， and the development benefits to be shared by all. This development model emphasizes harmonious development between rich and poor countries， rich and poor people， man and nature， as well as man and society. Such development cannot be isolated， let alone beggarthy-neighbor development at the expense of others. The latter is not only unsustainable， but will eventually threaten a countrys own peace， that of the region， and the rest of the world as a whole， and undermine the development of all countries concerned.

China advocates the principle that all countries should actively support the development of other countries while pursuing their own development， and that the long-term development of the world should not be based on the situation that some countries are getting richer while others remain poor and backward. All countries should follow the trend of our time， choose the right path of development， and replace confrontation with cooperation and monopoly with win-win results. We should all enjoy dignity， the fruits of development， and security guarantees， all working to build lasting peace and achieve sustainable development.

Chinas development will provide more opportunities to the world， and in return， world prosperity and stability shall benefit Chinas further development. With the continuous progress of the Belt and Road construction， China will be more integrated with other countries in the world， thus making it even more necessary for China to strive for a peaceful international environment and shape a prosperous international economy. Chinas export-oriented economy and economic restructuring and upgrading also require the world to provide it with more space and opportunities， and more importantly， to maintain an international environment of peace， stability， and cooperation. Therefore， Chinas pursuit of peaceful development is not a matter of expediency or diplomatic rhetoric， but a conclusion drawn from the objective judgment of history， reality， and future. China will be more firmly committed to the path of peaceful development， share more of its development achievements with the rest of the world， and encourage other countries to follow the path of peaceful development so that the beacon of peace will forever shine on the planet where mankind lives.