September 3 is the day of victory in the Chinese people's anti-Japanese war and the world anti-fascist war. We should keep history firmly in mind, not forget the past, cherish peace and usher in the future. Chinese leaders once again declare that China is to unswervingly follow the road of peaceful development and, together with the people of various countries around the world, jointly promote the lofty cause of human peace and development. This is a solemn promise made to the world's people.

At present, the world wants peace, the people want cooperation, countries want development, and society wants progress, which are converging into a strong current. China unswervingly following the road of peaceful development is precisely in compliance with the demand of the times.

China is an active initiator as well as a faithful practitioner of the lofty cause of peace, development and cooperation. Shortly after the founding of New China in 1949, the Chinese government creatively set forth the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and set up the base for its independent foreign policy of peace.

As the largest developing country, China has taken newer and greater steps on the road of peaceful development by carrying out reform internally and opening up to the outside world externally over the past 20 years and more. It has not only achieved the sustained, sound and rapid development of its own economy, but has also brought new development opportunities for its neighbors, Asia and even the entire international community.

China adheres to the principle guiding its relations with its neighbors: to become a good neighbor and a good partner as well as building build an amicable, tranquil and prosperous neighborhood. China is actively carrying out multilateral diplomacy and international cooperation. China has joined almost all major international organizations and is playing a vital role in arms control, trade and investment, anti-terrorism and other multilateral international mechanisms.

As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China actively participates in the UN affairs, safeguards the authority of the UN, especially of the Security Council, defends the basic principles of the "UN Charter" and promotes the reform of the UN to develop in the direction of giving maximum consideration to the rational demands and concerns of developing counties.

China has increasingly merged itself in the world economic system after its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). With a population of 1.3 billion, China has provided and will continue to provide strong impetus to the development of the world economy. In 2004 the total volume of China's import and export reached US$1,154.8 billion, making it an important engine in world economic growth. By 2020, the scale and gross demand of the Chinese market will be doubled compared with the year 2000, all countries in the world will gain new development opportunities in this process.

The road of peaceful development chosen by China is a path for one to develop oneself in the defense of world peace, and to promote world peace through one's own development.

Since the introduction of the reform and opening up policy, China has maintained rapid, long-term economic growth and has experienced swift enhancement in its overall national strength. This has aroused the uneasiness of a small number of people in certain countries, some ill-intentioned people even seize the opportunity to spread the "China threat theory".

Historically, the rise of a big country usually would lead to a drastic change in the international pattern and world order, and would even trigger war. However, history has proved long before that whether or not a country would constitute a threat to world peace depends not on whether its national strength is powerful, but rather on what internal and external policies it pursues.

What China has chosen is a new industrialized road targeted at peaceful development. The word "new" is centralized on the word "peace": We are carrying out peaceful development externally, not to plunder other countries of their resources through expansion by force; and internally we are engaged in harmonious development, not to practice predatory business by risking the consumption of resources.

While meeting with a foreign guest in 1985, Deng Xiaoping said, "China is now a force maintaining world peace and stability, not a destructive force. The stronger China is developed, the more reliable is world peace", "When China has developed, the peace force restricting war will be greatly enhanced". China does not seek hegemony at present, and will not seek hegemony when it is developed in the future. This is the sincere and solemn promise made by the Chinese people.

Seeking development amidst peace is a matter of paramount importance in today's world. China has resolutely embarked on the road of peaceful development and has scored remarkable achievements. We are also clearly aware that the basic national condition of being a large country with a poor foundation to start with has not been fundamentally reversed; compared with advanced countries in the world, China still lags far behind. Given this situation, realizing our magnificent goal requires not only a long-term peaceful international environment, but also the development of friendly cooperation with various countries around the world. The opening world has provided China with space for development, China's development can't be achieved without the world.

In unswervingly following the road of peaceful development, we must continue to actively carry out international cooperation, participate in international competition on an equal footing and expedite a continual rise in the level of opening to the outside world and enhancement in our overall national strength and competitiveness.

In unswervingly taking the road of peaceful development, we must continue to persist in the independent foreign policy of peace, and create a peaceful international environment featuring long-term stability, security and reliability for China's modernization drive.

In unswervingly following the road of peaceful development, we must respect the diversified civilizations of various countries, encourage various civilizations to learn from each other's strong points to offset one's own weakness in the course of dialogs and exchanges, we must advocate mutual tolerance among various civilizations and common development in the course of seeking common ground while reserving differences.

History is like a mirror reflecting the reality as well as a most philosophic textbook. Through constant review and profound thinking of the history of the Chinese people's anti-Japanese war and the world anti-fascist war, people of various countries around the world will definitely deepen their scientific knowledge about the natural law governing the development of human society and on this basis further enhance their self-consciousness in safeguarding peace and jointly seeking development, cooperation and a win-win situation.

China today has embarked on the road of peaceful development. No matter how the international situation may change, the Chinese people will continue to hold high the banner of peace, cooperation and development, unswervingly follow the road of peaceful development and, together with the people of various countries around the world, jointly promote the lofty cause of peace and development of humankind.

By People's Daily Online