China enacts law on foreign relations

Celina Ali

Islamabad: China has enacted its new foreign relations law reiterating its commitment to promoting world peace and development and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

The law on Foreign Relations of the People’s Republic of China, adopted at the Third Meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress on June 28, came into force on July 1, 2023, according to Chinese embassy in Islamabad.

According to the text of the law, “China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace, and observes the five principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence. China keeps to a path of peaceful development and adheres to the fundamental policy of opening to the outside world and a strategy of opening-up for mutual benefit.”

The law further stated, “China worked to promote coordination and sound interaction with other major countries and grow relations with its neighboring countries in accordance with the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and the policy of enhancing friendship and partnership with its neighbors.

China stays true to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable global security, and endeavors to strengthen international security cooperation and its participation in mechanisms of global security governance.

China fulfills its responsibilities as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council; it is committed to safeguarding international peace and security and upholding the authority and stature of the United Nations Security Council. China supports and participates in peacekeeping operations mandated by the United Nations Security Council, observes the basic principles of the peacekeeping operations, respects the territorial integrity and political independence of sovereign countries concerned, and maintains a position of fairness.”

In the regional context, China had been willing to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Pakistan and to jointly push forward the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between China and Pakistan.