Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao called on firmly upholding the principle of sovereign equality and respecting and maintaining diversity of the world's civilizations, in addressing a conference commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence on Monday in Beijing. 

Wen said that sovereignty is the birthmark of any independent state, the crystallization of its national interests and the best safeguard of all it holds dear.

He said that the increasing interaction and interdependence among countries, thanks to surging economic globalization and technological revolution, does not mean that the status and role of sovereignty can in any way be neglected or weakened.

It is imperative to have greater democracy in international relations, Wen said, adding that no country has the right to impose its will on others, nor can it undermine or deny other countries' sovereignty under whatever excuse.

He said that facts have proven that such practices as disregarding other's sovereignty, bullying the small and the weak by dint of one's size and power, and pursuing hegemony and power politics would not get anywhere.

He added that the affairs of a country should be decided by its own people, and the affairs of the world should be handled by consultation among all countries on an equal footing.

With respect to diversity of the world's civilizations, Wen said that the diverse civilizations are a hallmark of human society and an important driving force behind human progress.

He said that the world today has over 6 billion inhabitants living in more than 200 countries and regions, and they break down into over 2,500 ethnic groups and speak more than 5,000 different languages.

"Be it historical tradition, faith and culture, or social system, values and level of development, those countries or regions are often different from one another," he said, adding that "it is these differences that make our planet dazzling, colorful and bustling with life."

Such diversity is a legacy of history and will keep on living into the future, he said, citing a saying of the ancient Chinese thinker Confucius, "All living creatures grow together without harming one another; ways run parallel without interfering with one another."

"Instead of harboring bias against or deliberately belittling other civilizations, we should uphold the great thought of peaceful coexistence and give full respect to the diversity of civilizations," Wen said.

"Instead of shutting each other out in mutual exclusion, we should encourage dialogue and exchange between civilizations so that they can learn from each other in mutual emulation," he added.

"Instead of demanding uniformity and imposing one's will on others, we should promote common development of all civilizations in the course of mutual tolerance and seeking agreement while shelving differences," Wen said.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, first put forward by China, India and Myanmar 50 years ago, are 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.

(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2004)