"China?s perception of the international order has been consistent on three points. Firstly, China
believes that the international order is based on the power and interests of major countries, and
that the existing order is the hegemonistic order imposed by the United States. Secondly, China
argues that aspects of the aforementioned international order are unfair and unreasonable, and must
be reformed. Thirdly, when discussing the international order, China will without fail refer to the
Charter of the United Nations and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Article 2 of the U.N.
Charter and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence provide for equality among sovereign states,
noninterference in internal affairs, and peaceful coexistence of differing political regimes, and they
are of vital importance for China, which sees the continuation of the administration of the Communist
Party as an overriding imperative. While China?s aforementioned perception of the international order
has remained largely consistent, China has in the past displayed passive resistance to the international
order or participated only passively in it. Amid a shift in the balance of power, however, arguments
calling for greater participation and communication in the existing international order are gradually
gaining ground in China. Moreover, there has also emerged an argument for China?s involvement
in the restructuring and development of the international order. At present, however, China has yet
to generate new norms or values that are universally acceptable. The shift in the relative balance of
power has lent momentum to the formation of a new international order, and it is expected that China
will assert itself more strongly going forward."
