Zhou Enlai speaks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, explaining the Five Principles of Peace to U.S. President Richard Nixon and the American delegation.
This historic talk was delivered after signing the Shanghai Communique, which began the process of diplomatic, cultural and business renewal between China and America. March 1, 1972.
The Chinese Premier said, “There exist great differences between the governments of these two countries, but these differences should not hinder the development of normal state relationships between China and the United States, under the five principles of mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, mutual non-aggression, mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and peaceful coexistence.”
The Chinese military band played “America the Beautiful.”
Nixon said, “This was the week that changed the world.”
The spirit of peacemakers lives on.
Excerpt from "Flying Tigers Made Lifelong Friends." Edited by the Zhou Enlai Peace Institute, www.zhouenlaipeaceinstitute.org