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Active Participation in Multilateral Diplomacy |
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| Various occasions for multilateral contact have provided a great stage for China's active foreign diplomacy. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China takes a positive stance toward UN reform. It has put forward several proposals on increasing the representation of developing countries and other issues. China plays an important role in regional multilateral diplomacy. The second and third rounds of the six-party talks on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula were held in Beijing in February and June, respectively. The participating countries pressed ahead with substantial discussions, which led to the issuance of the first document since the beginning of peace talk process. It is believed that the six-party talks have become "the only and the most effective multilateral mechanism to resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula." The talks are playing a crucial role in maintaining regional peace and stability. In November, President Hu Jintao's participation in the 12th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Chile attracted wide attention from all parties. At the summit, he put forward suggestions on the future development of the APEC, as well as China's initiatives on the cooperation in energy and the financial sectors. With the joint efforts of China and other member countries, two permanent bodies of the SCO--the Secretariat in Beijing and the Regional Anti-terrorism Structure in Tashkent--were launched in January and June, ushering a new era of all-round development for the SCO. Premier Wen Jiabao attended the Third Meeting of the SCO Prime Ministers in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in September. His proposal on deepening multilateral cooperation to bring more tangible benefits to the SCO members was enthusiastically echoed by representatives of other member states. At the Fifth Summit of the Asia-Europe Meeting held in Hanoi, Viet Nam in October, China and France jointly initiated the Declaration on Dialogue Among Cultures and Civilizations, winning approval from all sides for their commitment to respect cultural diversity and unity, and adhere to dialogue and tolerance among different civilizations. The year 2004 marked the 50th anniversary of the inception of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which was initiated jointly by China, India and Myanmar. China staged a grand commemoration, highlighting the principles' relevance in the present day, as they are meant to oppose power politics and promote multipolarization. There is reason to believe that China, a responsible large country that has all along pursued a peaceful foreign policy in all aspects of international relations, will make due contributions to the establishment of a just and rational new political and economic order in the world.
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