Five Principles praised on 70th anniversary

Michael Hart, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, commended the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence at a forum held in Beijing on Friday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the issuance of the principles.

"A number of the principles appeal to me. When I hear mutual nonaggression and peaceful coexistence, I like those, because those do create a platform for trade," Hart said. "For those of us who prefer trade and exchange over isolation and self-sufficiency, these principles are very helpful. I also particularly like equality and mutual benefit, because, from my point of view, that means all of us can participate. We're here in China trying to make sure that ... American companies can continue to participate in the economy, and we've had great success with that."

First proposed by China in the 1950s, the five principles are mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.