Conference of Foreign Ministers of Non-Aligned Countries

[This unsigned article is reprinted from Peking Review, #33, Aug. 18, 1972, pp. 10-11.]

The Conference of Foreign Ministers of Non-Aligned Countries was held from August 8 to 12 in Georgetown, capital of Guyana. Prior to this, a meeting of its preparatory committee took place from August 3 to 5.

Taking part in the conference were delegations from 59 member countries, 12 delegations of observers and 8 guests.

The conference achieved significant results. It adopted the “Georgetown Declaration,” the reports by its political committee and economic committee and a series of resolutions including those on Indochina, the Middle East, decolonization, Puerto Rico, Zimbabwe and the so-called Spanish Sahara. It also decided to seat the Delegation of the Royal Government of National Union of Cambodia at the conference as the sole legitimate representative of Cambodia and to admit the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Viet Nam to the current conference as a full member.

The Chinese Government and people attaced great importance to the conference. Foreign Minister Chi Peng-fei sent a message of congratulations on its opening. The Chinese press devoted much space to the conference and reported on the “Georgetown Declaration” as well as resolutions adopted at the conference. Following are excerpts of two articles in “Renmin Ribao” by the paper’s Commentator on August 15 and 13 on the successful conclusion of the conference and on its decision to seat the Delegation of the Royal Government of National Union of Cambodia as the sole legitimate representative of Cambodia and to admit the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Viet Nam as a full member to the conference. The articles were entitled “Unity in Struggle Against Imperialism and Colonialism” and “Just Decision, Common Victory.”

Unity in Struggle

The Conference of Foreign Ministers of Non-Aligned Countries held in the Guyanese capital Georgetown has made significant achievements. The “Georgetown Declaration” adopted by the conference and its resolutions on a series of questions including those on Indochina, the Middle East, decolonization and Puerto Rico, embody the strong will of the non-aligned countries and their peoples to oppose imperialism, colonialism and neocolonialism and reflect the common aspirations, cherished by millions upon millions of people in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The Chinese Government and people express warm congratulations to the conference on its important results.

The conference was permeated throughout by a spirit of militant solidarity among the participating countries and their peoples. It took a clear-cut principled position with regards to struggles against imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism, racial oppression, the big powers’ monopoly over the handling of international affairs and various other questions. In the “Georgetown Declaration,” the conference called for “concerted action on the international level” by the Asian, African and Latin American countries in their common struggles, and “pledged itself to foster mutual co-operation among developing countries.” It stressed the need for the Asian, African and Latin American countries “to continue to work with a view to strengthening and broadening the existing solidarity and co-operation among all the anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist forces.” This spirit of fighting shoulder to shoulder against the common enemy signifies a new development in the cause of unity of the Asian, African and Latin American countries against imperialism and gives vigorous encouragement to the common struggles of the peoples.

Where there is aggression, there is resistance to it. Where there is oppression, there is struggle against it. The Conference of Foreign Ministers of Non-Aligned Countries strongly condemned the subjection of Asian, African and Latin American countries to aggression, subversion, plunder and oppression by imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism and racism, and gave firm support to the just struggles being waged by the three Indochinese peoples, the Korean people, the Palestinian and other Arab peoples and the broad masses of people in Asia, Africa and Latin America in general. By taking a firm position to oppose imperialism and colonialism and to support and defend the cause of national independence, the conference has added to the moral strength of the non-aligned countries and made a new contribution to the just struggles of the peoples of the world.

In international affairs, big and small countries should be equal. The affairs of the people of various countries should be handled by the people of various countries concerned. The conference expressed the strong feeling of the non-aligned countries that “they could not suffer the destiny of the world to rest with a small syndicate of states,” and called for “efforts to realize the demands of non-aligned countries for the democratization of international relations.” This represents the voice of justice of the people of the third world against the superpowers pushing hegemony and power politics, and further demonstrates that the non-aligned countries are playing an increasingly important role in the fight against control and intervention by the superpowers.

The current international situation is becoming more and more favourable to the struggle of the peoples. Countries want independence, nations want liberation, and people want revolution. This has already become an irresistible historical trend. China belongs to the third world. We are firmly opposed to the manipulation and monopolizing of international affairs by the superpowers. We do not want, and will never want to be a superpower. The Chinese people and other peoples of the third world had the same historical experiences, and today they are confronted with the common task of struggle. We firmly support the just struggle of the non-aligned countries and their people, and are convinced that so long as they continue to heighten vigilance and persist in unity and struggle, the people of various countries will surely win greater victories.

Just Decision

This is not only a victory of the Cambodian and south Vietnamese peoples, but also a common victory of the people of various countries fighting in defence of justice. The Chinese people express warm congratulations to the fraternal Cambodian and south Vietnamese peoples.

The Kingdom of Cambodia is one of the sponsors of the Conference of Won-Aligned Countries. The Cambodian Government under the leadership of Samdech Norodom Sihanouk has always pursued a policy of independence, peace, neutrality and non-alignment, and adhered to the just position of opposition to imperialist aggression and intervention. Since the reactionary coup of March 18, 1970 in Cambodia, the Royal Government of National Union of Cambodia has led the Cambodian people in a heroic and tenacious struggle against U.S. imperialism and its lackeys in defence of national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and has won great victory. The struggle and victory of the Cambodian people are an important contribution to the common cause of the non-aligned countries and to the anti-imperialist struggle of the people of various countries, and have won the praise and support of the people all over the world. Thanks to the justice-upholding position of the host and many other countries at the current Conference of Foreign Ministers of Non-Aligned Countries, a fair decision has been made at the conference. This is a proof that the Cambodian people’s cause is “a just cause which enjoys abundant support”; it is also a proof of the rising international prestige of the Royal Government of National Union of Cambodia led by Head of State Samdech Sihanouk.

The Lon Nol traitorous clique, lackey of U.S imperialism, is not only the betrayer of the cause of Cambodia’s national independence but also the destroyer of her policy of peace, neutrality and nonalignment. This handful of national scums, who wreck the country and ruin the people, are spurned by the people at home and extremely isolated in the world; they have no right whatsoever to represent the state and Government of Cambodia. Their ignominious failure in Guyana is quite natural. Cambodia can be represented only by the Royal Government of National Union of Cambodia at any international conference and in any international organization.

The decision made by the current Conference of Foreign Ministers of Non-Aligned Countries on the representation of Cambodia and south Viet Nam is bound to further inspire the Cambodian and south Vietnamese peoples in their struggle against U.S. aggression and for national salvation, and further enhance the strength of the non-aligned countries, thereby making a new contribution to the common struggle of the peoples throughout the world.

Peking Review Index   |  Chinese Communism  |  Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung