Bandung 1955 and the Five Principles: Understanding China through its words

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53897/REvChinaGR.2025.05.01

Keywords:

China, International cooperation, Maoism, Bandung Conference, International relations

Abstract

On the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful
Coexistence and the 1955 Bandung Conference, this article analyzes the role of the People’s Republic of China in that historic event. Through a historical and discourse-oriented approach, it examines how the Chinese delegation, led by Zhou Enlai, articulated an anti-hegemonic narrative grounded in sovereignty, non-interference, and peaceful cooperation. It is argued that this intervention not only influenced the drafting of the Ten Principles of Bandung but also laid ideological and normative foundations for future South-South Cooperation. Furthermore, China’s participation is connected to Mao Zedong’s foreign policy and Maoism as a source of inspiration for emancipatory processes across the Global South. The study draws on
primary sources from the conference and relevant scholarly literature, offering a critical re-reading of Bandung’s diplomatic and symbolic legacy in international history and in China’s global projection.

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Author Biography

Sofía Bertinat, Universidad Nacional de San Martin

Sofía Bertinat holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from the National University of San Martín (UNSAM) and is a doctoral candidate in International Relations at the same institution. Her research focuses on South-South Cooperation, political discourse in international relations, and the construction of identities in multilateral forums. She currently works as a manager in the Directorate of International Relations at the National University of Hurlingham (UNAHUR) and as a legislative advisor in the Chamber of Deputies of the Nation. She has published academic articles on the internationalization of higher education and South-South Cooperation in specialized journals.

References

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Discursos y documentos

Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores de Indonesia. (1955). Final Communiqué of the Asian-African conference of Bandung. Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History: https://www.cvce.eu/en/obj/final_communique_of_the_asian_african_conference_of_bandung_24_april_1955-en-676237bd-72f7-471f-949a-88b6ae513585.html

Zhou, E. (1955). Discurso en la Conferencia de Bandung. Marxists Internet Archive: https://www.marxists.org/espanol/zhou/1955/abril-a.htm

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Published

2025-06-30

How to Cite

Bertinat, S. (2025). Bandung 1955 and the Five Principles: Understanding China through its words. China Global Review, 3(5), 7–28. https://doi.org/10.53897/REvChinaGR.2025.05.01

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 5 (2025): Retos y desafíos de China en el siglo XXI

Section

Artículos

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Copyright (c) 2025 Sofía Bertinat

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