China Must Participate in the Debate on World Order

During his meeting with a Japanese trade delegation on December 2, 1988, Deng said that it was time to establish a new international political order, for a new political situation had emerged where dialogue replaced confrontation and tension in the international arena was thawing. He proposed that the superpowers adopt the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, and abandon hegemonic thinking. He remarked to Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi in their meeting on December 21, 1988: “The world faces two missions now – building a new world political order and building a new world economic order. I spent much time elaborating on the issue of a new international economic order during my 1974 speech at the UN. We have been talking about it since, and will continue to do so. As to the new international political order, I think the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence jointly put forward by China and India is the one that can best stand any test.”

On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall was brought down, marking Germany’s reunification. Hot on its heels was the upheaval in Eastern Europe that culminated in the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The Western world, headed by the U.S., was of course both heartened and emboldened by these events. When addressing Congress on September 11, 1990, President George Bush said: “Out of these troubled times, our fifth objective – a new world order – can emerge.” In his State of the Union speech the next year he went further in this vein to say that the U.S. should play the leading role in building this new order.

At the proposal of the U.K. on January 31, 1992, the UN Security Council convened a meeting of heads of state in New York to discuss how to fortify the UN’s status and function in the handling of international affairs. I was at that time director general of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and also the ministry spokesperson. I attended the meeting as one of a delegation headed by Premier Li Peng, who delivered a speech on China’s stance on building new world political and economic order.

The Western elite were elated at the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, which they saw as a victory. They were eager to project Western ideologies and practices worldwide and thus forge a new world order. The world, however, has always been diverse; making it monochrome is hence a pipe dream. The world has undoubtedly undergone changes since the end of the Cold War, but not in the manner the West expected. A number of developing countries have risen, bringing about a remarkable rebalance of international forces. The center of gravity of international relations is now shifting from the Atlantic to the Pacific region.

Dr. Kissinger’s new book probably triggered the third global debate on the new world order. In mid-October 2014, the Asia Society held a seminar in the U.S. on the rise of Asia and the shared future of humankind, to which Fu Ying and I were invited. Dr. Kissinger briefed us at the meeting on his opinions as expressed in his latest book, including that of the U.S. and China being the two indispensable pillars of the world order. He proposes that the two countries sit down to discuss construction of the 21st century world order.

Dr. Kissinger’s insight is admirable. He foresaw the rise of Asia, the strong growth of China and the scenario wherein the U.S. is no longer the sole dominant power in world affairs. In the making of a new world order, the U.S. and China, the world’s two largest economies, are naturally of utmost significance.

China must attach due importance to the current debates. Never in its millennia-long history has anyone ever approached China to discuss building a new world order. Over the past few centuries the West has formulated the world order without consulting the rest of the world. That it has now come to China to discuss the issue constitutes a sea change, attributable to China’s remarkable development since bringing into effect its reform and opening-up policy. China’s GDP in 1991 was a mere US $379.4 billion while, at US $6.17 trillion, that of the U.S. was 16-fold. In 2013 China’s GDP rose to US $9.24 trillion compared with the U.S.’s US $16.8 trillion – just 1.8 times that of China. Deng Xiaoping was hence absolutely correct in saying “development is of overriding importance.”

Fostering a new world order in the 21st century will be a gradual course. And a global debate is the first step. If China were to stay away from this debate it would waive its right to speak and so miss its chance to contribute to construction of the new order. Such irresponsible behavior would be inexcusable in the face of the world and succeeding generations.

It is time for the Chinese people to give serious thought to how to build the 21st century world order. I believe this mission calls on us to carry on the legacy of our late Chinese leaders Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping, namely, the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, which have stood the test of history. Deng once said that the new world political and economic order should be set on the basis of the Five Principles – advice we should follow.

But meanwhile we must be innovative under a new world situation. The most remarkable change in the global situation is that of the theme of the time – from war and revolution to peace and development. This change, overarching and sweeping, has hatched two worldwide trends. One is defined by peace, development, cooperation, and win-win results. And it is driven by two forces – unprecedented interdependence among humankind, and the grim, unforeseen challenges confronting it that threaten our survival, and which we can face only through joint efforts.

The other trend is that of Cold War thinking – confrontation, conflict, and hatred. It is also propelled by two forces – conventional mentality and interest groups. The zero-sum game has been played for thousands of years in human history, resulting in a conventional mentality that still influences people’s thoughts and deeds. Interest groups hanker for trouble, as they benefit from confrontation, conflict, and hatred.