Over the past 60 years, China's foreign relations not only scored numerous achievements but also made contribution to the establishment of just and reasonable international order, Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Ye Dabo said on Tuesday.

Ye made the remark in an exclusive interview with Xinhua on Tuesday, two days ahead of 60th founding anniversary of People's Republic of China.

Recalling the history, Ye said late Premier Zhou Enlai proposed for the first time the "Five Principles for Peaceful Coexistence" when he met with an Indian government delegation on Dec. 31, 1953.

At the end of June 1954, Premier Zhou visited India and Myanmar, and had talks with prime ministers of the two countries separately. A joint statement after the talks reiterated that the five principles for peaceful coexistence serve as guiding principles for bilateral relations.

In April, 1955, an Afro-Asian Conference was held in Bandung, Indonesia and the five principles for peaceful coexistence was introduced in the press communique.

Since then, the said five principles have become a basic principle governing China's relations with all countries and also served as a base for its independent and peaceful foreign policy.

For the past over 50 years, the five principles for peaceful coexistence have also become an important principle for international relations acknowledged by the international community.

Ambassador Ye pointed out that China also actively initiated a principle for establishing new international political and economic order, guided by the five principles.

China's leadership, in accordance with the development of the situation, continuously enriched these principles.

In April 2005, President Hu Jintao raised, at the Afro-Asian Summit in Jakarta, establishment of a "Harmonious World" and on Sept. 15 the same year, under the title of "Making great efforts to build a harmonious world with long-lasting peace and common prosperity", President Hu delivered an important speech at a summit of the United Nations marking its 60th anniversary of establishment.

The new ideology of "harmonious world" places emphasis on dialogue between countries, coordination and cooperation, Ye said, stressing the importance on the equality, mutual coexistence and abiding by international rules which reflects the wishes of the peaceful coexistence and the creative application and development of the five principles.

Ye emphasized that over the past 60 years, China's foreign relations experienced the critical test of changing international climate, making achievements that drew world attention.

With the all-sided development of friendly ties with countries in the world, China's international position continued to rise, prompting the increase of the number of countries with which China has established diplomatic ties to 171 from 18 when in the early phase of New China's founding, he noted.

For the past 60 years, upholding an independent and peaceful foreign policy, China made efforts in promoting the cause of world peace, development and cooperation, and during the period, China took the development of relations with surrounding and neighboring countries as the priority as its main responsibility in its foreign relations and endeavors for a harmonious surrounding with long-lasting peace and common prosperity, he pointed out.

Entering the new century, he said, China abided by a policy of dealing on good terms with and making partner with neighboring countries, actively pushing the friendly and neighborly cooperation as well as regional cooperation. As a result, bilateral economic and trade ties have become closer, making achievements in every sector.

Commenting on Sino-Myanmar relations, Ye said China and Myanmar are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers, enjoying a deep "Paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship. Myanmar stood one of the earliest countries which forged diplomatic ties with China after its founding.

In the 1960s, China and Myanmar took the lead in smooth and total settlement of boundary issue left by the history with a spirit of friendly coordination, mutual understanding and mutual accommodation.

In 2000, China and Myanmar signed a joint statement relating to the framework of future cooperation of the two countries, introducing a direction for the development of the two countries' bilateral ties in the 21st century.

Ye pointed out that in recent years, China and Myanmar continuously expanded the cooperation and exchange in the sectors of politics, economy, trade and culture. In 2008, the bilateral trade of China and Myanmar reached US$2.66 billion. China became the 5th largest foreign investor of Myanmar.

In anticipation of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Myanmar next year, Ye said China would push deeply the continuous development of friendly and mutually-beneficial cooperation of the two countries in every sector.

Ye believes that through joint efforts, there could be better future prospects of cooperation between the two countries.

Ye concluded that in the past 60 years, China adopted an independent and peaceful foreign policy, safeguarding national sovereignty, security and benefit of development as well as making great contributions to the world peace, development and cooperation.

The 60 years also marked China's launch of friendly cooperation with world nations to seek mutually-beneficial "win-win" situation and joint development, Ye added.

(Xinhua News Agency September 29, 2009)