(May 26, 1955)

　　There is no barrier between us. We are for good on your behalf, because what is good for you is also good for us. We hope you will become strong, prosperous and developed, that will be good for us as well as for world peace. The Asian and African countries have just held a conference in Bandung; all the countries participating in the conference should become strong and prosperous, including Japan. In the past Japan did not behave well, but it is now being bullied, too. It will be good if all the countries being bullied by imperialism become strong and prosperous.

　　Thanks to the initiative and sponsorship of the five Colombo countries and the chairmanship of the President and Prime Minister of Indonesia, the Bandung Conference was a success. China attended the conference as one of the Asian-African countries and, in that capacity, contributed her share of effort. China has always been ready to develop friendly cooperation with all other countries, and China did not go to the conference to do anything bad. Because of the attitude adopted by China, countries not friendly to China, such as Japan, the Philippines and Thailand, could get along with us during the conference－relations were passable, with no great difficulties. There were, of course, many bickerings, but there were common points, too. Those countries have one thing in common with us, namely, they face the same difficulty of being bullied by the U.S. imperialist powere.The economy of Thailand is also under-developed. Japan, though more advanced than we are, also faces economic difficulties. This is the case, generally speaking. Of course, there are individual exceptions. Thus, in general, we have certain common points politically and economically. The recent Asian-African Conference is perhaps the first of its kind ever held by Asian and African countries.

　　Owing to their prolonged aggression for several hundred years, the Western countries have developed a complex of looking down upon the backward countries in Asia and Africa. They call us colored people making a distinction according to skin color, like calling some metals nonferrous or colored metals. But we, the colored metals, will expand. Of course, we shall not commit aggression against others. But colored metals are more valuable, because they include gold, silver, copper and tin.

　　A nation that has not only survived but developed over the centuries must have its strong points. Otherwise it is incomprehensible. The Western powers assert that our nations are inferior, then how can our nations have survived and developed?

　　We can get along very well discussing with each other. We have had conversation with Prime Minister Nehru and prime Minister U Nu respectively, and now we are having a conversation with you, Prime Minister Sastroamidjojo. As friends, we can get along very well. In the face of the Western countries, our common concern is to unite and protect ourselves, not to calculate against or harm each other. Our relationship should be one of mutual benefit, not mutral harm. Not only commercially and culturally, but politically we should cooperate; the Bandung Conference is a case in opint. We should see that all our countries make progress every year. We should help one another and try to solve some difficult problems that can be solved. Each of our countries has its own difficult problems and, through mutual help, we should try to solve these problems. For this purpose, steps need to be taken to remove misunderstandings and obstacles between our countries and increase mutral understanding. For instance, between China and India there used to be a question concerning Tibet; between China and Burma there are the overseas Chinese question and the boundary question; between China and Indonesia there is also a question regarding the overseas Chinese. With countries not on very good terms with us we shall also take concrete steps to solve some questions. In the case of countries such as Thailand and the Philippines we have the same idea, i.e , if only there is the possibility, efforts should be made to develop good relations with them. We have discussed the question of Thailand with Prime Minister Nehru and Prime Minister U Nu respectively and requested them to help us in persuading Thailand. Thailand has said it is afraid that we may send our troops to attack it, but how can one attack others indiscreetly? Thailand is also afraid of our minority autonomous district of the Dais; we have made it clear that Thailand can accredit a consul to Kunming to see whether we are going to attack it. In Bandung Premier Zhou talked about this with the Thai foreign minister for the same purpose of improving relations. If possible, I hope Mr. Prime Minister will speak on our behalf when you meet leaders of Thailand and the Philippines and tell them that China wants to have friendly relations with their countries.

　　Even in the case of the Western countries, if only they are willing, we are ready to cooperate with them. We are ready to solve pending questions by peaceful means. Fighting is always bad; it especially cannot bring good to Western countries, which has been proved by history. Though war inflicts material and human losses on both warring parties, history has proved that the political outcome of war is not to the advantage of the Western countries. Following World War I Soviet Russia got rid of old bonds; following World War II China and a number of other countries won liberation. World War II brought two outcomes: First, countries such as China, Poland, and Czechoslovakia came into being－countries with the Communist Party at the helm of state affairs. Second, in countries such as Indonesia, India, Burma and many other Asian and African countries movements led by nationalists made their respective countries independent or near independent. Great changes have also taken place in Egypt since World War II, and such is the case with many other countries in the Near East and Middle East. Though the United States emerged stronger than before, the camp of the Western countries as a whole has been weakened.

　　Several years ago all of us now present here would have been outlaws. We were then branded "unlawful elements," "rebels" or "bad men." Now the situation has changed. All of us have driven away those so-called good men. You have driven out the Japanese and Dutch; we have driven away the Japanese, Americans and Chiang Kai-shek. Those guys used to allege that we were very bad. Prime Minister Nehru, Prime Minister U Nu and Prime Minister Sastroamidjojo were all imprisoned for a long time. We can try to convince the Western countries by citing this chapter of history. They claimed that they were most powerful. Then why was it that after World War II we were able to win independence? This is strong historical evidence; it is neither fabrication nor bluffing. Over the past several hundred years the Western countries tried to frighten us. In the end, however, were we frightened by them or were they frightened by us? The conclusion is therefore that it is best not to fight a third world war; if it should break out, its outcome would not be disadvantageous to Asian and African countries, but to the Western countries; if they should say this is bluffing let them say so; but our remarks are well grounded, based on the historical experience of the two world wars. In view of this we say that questions should be solved through negotiation－let us have a try. In fact, the Korean war and the Indochinese were both solved in the end through negotiation, so the Taiwan question can also be solved through negotiation. We made this clear during the Bandung Conference, and this pint should be driven home to the Western countries. The Western countries may refuse to listen, as their views are biased, thinking they have more iron and steel, money and atom bombs. Are we afraid of these? A little, but not much. When we say we are a little afraid, that is because weapons invariably kill people. Our people do not wish to suffer losses, so we want no war. Those things in the hands of the Western countries will not surpass the people's strength, because the people have vitality. There are in Western countries many kings or magnates, such as an oil king, steel king, and automobile king. History has proved that domineering kings do not fare well in the end. Hitler, Mussolini, Tojo and Chiang Kai-shek were all domineering kings for some time. Emperors used to live in this very room, but they are all gone. Kings possessed a lot of things, while the people went empty-handed. I believe that at the very beginning of their struggle our Indonesian friends had practically nothing. When we first started our struggle, we were bare-handed, while our opponents were armed to the teeth. But the bare-handed people succeeded in wiping out those armed to the teeth. History of the last millennia shows that the more things decaying personages possess, the sooner they fall. Hence the conclusion: Peace is the best.

　　As far as atom bombs are concerned, we Asian-African countries are the "proletarians," because we do not have even a single atom bomb. It is hoped that countries rich in such "magic treasures" will handle them wisely; if they use them indiscreetly, the outcome will not necessarily be to their advantage. For our part, we do not have even one atom bomb, so how can we commit aggression against others? Is it not dangerous to commit aggression with two fists against those who have atom bombs? Yet they have branded us "aggressors," asserting that the Chinese are fond of aggression. According to them, we have, first, "invaded" China's mainland and are now going to "invade" the Jinmen and Mazu islands; second, in Korea Kim I1 sung "invaded" up to the 38th Paralles and then China helped him, and, third, Ho Chi Minh also "invaded" up to the 17th Parallel. Those who vilify us seem to be very peace-loving guys. We have, moreover, heard that the Dutch assert that Indonesia is going to "invade" West Irian.

　　Mr. Prime Minister has said that Indonesia wants to make peaceful use of its own rich resources. To this, I agree fully. Having such enormous quantities of valuable resources, Indonesia has very bright prospects. Though Japan is relatively more developed, it lacks natural resources, and Indonesia can certainly surpass Japan one day. The population of Indonesia and that of Japan are about the same size, but Indonesia is larger than Japan in area, with good climatic conditions and particularly rich resources. After a number of years a new Indonesia, stronger than Japan, will emerge. Of course, Indonesia is making peaceful use of its resources, and this will be in the interest of others too.

　　The Chinese people fully support the Indonesian people in defending their own country. We believe that similarly the Indonesian people support the Chinese people in defending China. We see no conflicts of interest between our two countries; we can only find areas in which the two countries can cooperate with mutual benefit.

　　There are good prospects for the solidarity of Asian and African countries, and the Bandung Conference is the first step. In future we should exert common effort, continue our work, unite and promote peace. Even if a war threatens, we can put it off. We should strive for a peaceful environment for as long as possible, and this is possible and hopeful. If the United states is also willing to sign a peace treaty, let it be a peace treaty valid for 100 years, if 50 years is not enough; we can agree to any length of time. It is not known whether the United States would agree or not. The main problem now lies with the United states, I believe you would have no objection.