Fu Zhigang, a reporter of Guangming Daily in Bangkok
Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, on January 13. In the face of live television footage, Indonesian President Joko Widodo was vaccinated with the Kerraf covid-19 vaccine of China's Kerring Company, becoming the first person in Indonesia to receive a new crown vaccine. In the form of live vaccination, President Jokowi fully demonstrated his trust in China's vaccines and reflected Indonesia's determination to fight the epidemic.
The global pandemic is still raging, and vaccine "nationalism" is rife. For many developing countries, China's vaccine is like "light at the end of the tunnel". The source of this blazing light is the CPC's century-long view of the fate of the world and the well-being of mankind, and the broad mind of China in the new era of peaceful development and win-win cooperation.
This light first shone on the world stage, and it is also related to Indonesia, a large developing country.
In April 1955, Zhou Enlai spoke at the Bandung Conference. Xinhua News Agency
With a cry for friends, Bandung witnessed a breakthrough
"It was the early morning of April 16, 1955. At the airport in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, the sky is dark, the breeze is light, the sound of planes whistling in the distance, and a silver plane lands on the runway... Zhou Enlai appeared heroically at the hatch, waved his hand to the welcoming crowd and stepped off the plane, which was the first time I had seen him. Situ Meisheng, who had experienced the Bandung Conference and was then the personal assistant and Chinese of Indonesian President Sukarno, recorded the arrival of the Chinese delegation.
During the Spring Festival, the reporter interviewed Situ Dilin, a descendant of Situ Meisheng. Mr. Situ Meisheng is known as a legendary figure in the history of China-Indonesia relations, although the Sri Lankans have passed away, but the large number of videos and written materials he left behind is enough to take us back to that turbulent era.
On April 24, 2015, in Bandung, Indonesia, children cheered at the ceremony to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference. Xinhua News Agency
At the Bandung Conference in 1955, New China's diplomacy made its own strong voice. China pioneered the diplomatic proposition of "seeking common ground while reserving differences" and promoted the conference to put forward ten principles for handling relations between countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which have become important norms for handling international relations and have been respected, followed and recognized by the international community to this day.
This is a breakthrough in the siege. In the context of the blockade and encirclement of China by the United States and the West in the early 1950s, only 6 of the 29 countries and regions participating in the Bandung Conference established diplomatic relations with China, most of which did not understand China, and some of the participating countries were hostile to China. Initiated by Indonesia, Myanmar and other five countries, the Bandung Conference is the first international conference initiated by Asian and African countries themselves and with anti-imperialist and anti-colonial purposes. Although it was a conference without the participation of the Western powers, the influence of the Cold War mentality also pervaded the conference, and discordant voices against China emerged at the conference.
Under these circumstances, Premier Zhou Enlai put aside the prepared speech and drafted an ad hoc speech in a targeted manner. To this day, Premier Zhou's voice is still exuberant: "The Chinese delegation is here to seek unity, not to quarrel." We Communists never deny that we believe in communism and that the socialist system is good... The Chinese delegation is here to seek common ground rather than to make a difference. Is there a basis for common ground among us? some. That is, the vast majority of the countries and peoples of Asia and Africa have suffered, and are still suffering, from the calamities and suffering caused by colonialism since modern times. ”
Premier Zhou's splendid speech shattered the rumors of imperialism and clarified the vague understanding of some people. His principle of seeking common ground while reserving differences dispelled the dark clouds that had once hung over the General Assembly, which were accepted by the representatives of all countries and ensured the smooth progress of the Assembly in a good atmosphere. Some countries that are suspicious and even hostile to China have changed their original positions. Philippine Foreign Minister Romulo took the initiative to shake hands with Premier Zhou: "This speech is outstanding, conciliatory, and embodies the spirit of democracy. Thai Foreign Minister Wang Witteakham accepted the invitation to go to the residence of the Chinese delegation for dinner and began the first formal contact between China and Thailand.
Premier Zhou's political wisdom impressed Situ Meisheng, and the political character of the selfless dedication of the Chinese Communists also made the Indonesian overseas Chinese extremely admirable. After the meeting, the host Indonesia enthusiastically arranged for representatives of participating countries to go to Bali for a holiday. Situ recalled: During the short leisure time in Bali, Premier Zhou and the delegation got up at seven o'clock every morning, worked until two or three o'clock in the morning, met with many groups of foreign leaders in the station in two days, and tried every means to make good use of every bit of time in Indonesia to deal with other countries and win more diplomatic space for New China.
On March 23, 2020, in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, airport staff carrying Medical Supplies aided by China. Xinhua News Agency
Also impressed was Bao Dake, an American journalist who attended the meeting and later became a well-known American scholar on China. In his monograph, he wrote that Zhou Enlai's presence in Bandung "is a complete testament to the fact that he was one of the most experienced and talented diplomats in the world."
The Bandung spirit of "unity, friendship and cooperation" embodied in the Bandung Conference opened a historic page of peaceful coexistence and opposition to colonialism among the peoples of Asian and African countries, and also won more friends for New China. From the end of the Bandung Conference to the end of 1959, 11 Asian and African countries, including Nepal, Egypt and Syria, established diplomatic relations with China.
Seek common ground, win-win cooperation to a new realm
"What was the motivation for Zhou Enlai's promises and initiatives in Bandung? Only time can give an answer. Bao Dake, who has great respect for Premier Zhou, also raised such a question.
The baptism of time makes the answer self-evident. Today, China's friends are all over the world. At present, China has established diplomatic relations with 180 countries and established different forms of partnership with 112 countries and international organizations. This fully shows that the concept of major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, which is in line with the spirit of Bandung, has been widely recognized by the world.
In April 2015, the reporter had the honor to come to Bandung to cover the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference. The mountain city of Bandung is full of spring, and on the Asian-African Avenue, welcome flags and slogans can be seen everywhere. Late on the night of April 23, President Xi Jinping arrived in Bandung. The next morning, President Xi Jinping came to the Asian-African Avenue to re-walk the Bandung Road with President JokoWi and other leaders of Asian and African countries to carry forward the spirit of Bandung.
Unlike 60 years ago, China has become a good neighbor and good partner with almost all Asian and African countries and is getting closer to the center of the world stage. At the Bandung Conference that year, the Chinese delegation, with the concept of seeking common ground while reserving differences, condensed the common will of unity, friendship and cooperation between Asia and Africa. At the Asian-African leaders' meeting, President Xi Jinping also gave the Spirit of Bandung a new era connotation, proposing to promote the construction of a new type of international relations with win-win cooperation as the core, promote the development of the international order and international system in a more just and reasonable direction, and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind to better benefit the people of Asia and Africa and other regions.
Situ Dilin cherished and identified with his father's memories, and reality confirmed the value of these memories. Situ Dilin believes that the win-win cooperation proposal put forward by President Xi Jinping is China's new contribution to the Asian-African Conference and a new development of the Bandung spirit, which responds to the urgent needs of the vast number of Asian and African countries eager to develop their economies. This points the way to a new future for Asia and Africa.
In October 2013, also in Indonesia, President Xi Jinping proposed for the first time that China is willing to strengthen maritime cooperation with ASEAN countries and jointly build the "Maritime Silk Road" in the 21st century. This vision has received a positive response from the international community. At present, China has signed 205 cooperation documents with 171 countries and international organizations to jointly build the "Belt and Road".
The common development blueprint connecting The Asian and African countries and even the developing countries of the world is becoming a reality step by step. Taking the Southeast Asian region where the reporter is located as an example, countries are actively realizing the docking of their national development strategies with the "Belt and Road" initiative, and the road of friendship is constantly extending. In 2020, ASEAN will become China's largest trading partner, making the two sides each other's largest trading partners for the first time. It is worth mentioning that since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, China and the vast number of Asian and African countries have watched over each other and interpreted "win-win cooperation" with practical actions. In the face of the impact of the epidemic, China and ASEAN have taken the lead in promoting cooperation in resuming work and production, jointly maintaining the stability of the regional industrial chain and supply chain, and driving the entire region to become a demonstration area for the global fight against the epidemic and a leader in economic recovery. On November 15 last year, 15 countries, including 10 ASEAN countries and China, formally signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which was hailed as "a victory for free trade and an opportunity for regional prosperity".
Seek common ground while reserving differences, and walk with the times.
On April 5, 1955, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China convened an enlarged meeting of the Politburo to discuss and approve the "Plan for Participating in the Asian-African Conference", making an accurate judgment on the "sameness" that can be sought: "Most countries [participating in the Asian-African Conference] have different degrees of common aspirations for peace, independence, and the development of their own economy and culture... Our general approach in the Asian-African Conference should be to strive for the expansion of the united front for world peace, the promotion of national independence movements and the creation of conditions for the establishment and strengthening of our country's affairs and diplomatic relations with a number of Asian and African countries. ”
China in the new era is seeking development for Asia and Africa and for the world with a broader vision and more powerful arms. President Xi Jinping's historic speech at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva in January 2017 has declared to the world that China's determination to safeguard world peace will not change. China's determination to promote common development will not change. China's determination to forge partnerships will not change. China's determination to support multilateralism will not change. "The common aspiration of all mankind for more than 100 years has been peace and development. However, this task is far from complete. We must comply with the voice of the people, take up the baton of history, and continue to forge ahead courageously on the marathon track of peace and development. ”
Guangming Daily ( 2021-03-01 05 edition)
Source: Guangming Network - Guangming Daily