FCWH262035-29/8/2007-RAJA-282679 512 S.G.Zhang North Africa to keep a distance from America...[the people's]voice for peace will sound stronger and stronger:12 While sticking to its anti-imperialism stance,Beijing felt the need to win international sympathy and support.Continuing to 'expose and criticize US 125 imperialism,the CCP hoped to demonstrate that the new regime was capable of acting benevolently and responsibly in international politics,so long as it preserved [ideological]principles.Attempting to exploit world opinion so as to 'shame' America,Beijing stressed the need to respect national sovereignty and non- interference in others'domestic affairs,which,the CCP propaganda asserted,was the 130 cornerstone of peaceful coexistence.As the US government could hardly stay away from others'affairs,China's adherence to 'non-intervention and non-interference' would help galvanize the peoples around the world,including the American people,to disfavour war or confrontation.It was imperative,Zhou Enlai pointed out at a meeting of the foreign ministry in June 1953,to persuade world opinion that 'we are 135 the ones who advocate to resolve all international disputes through peaceful consultation and negotiation,and the other side is the one who insists on the use of force or hostility in resolving [international]conflicts.Should military conflict occur, the US,as the 'perpetrator of war,would then be blamed rightly and squarely.3 The CCP also looked upon its pursuit of 'peaceful coexistence'as a weapon to 140 weaken US ties with its chief allies.Seeing its international position greatly enhanced as a result of its armed intervention in Korea,the CCP leadership believed that America's prestige and strength were strained.The US would encounter much greater difficulties than before in maintaining control of its allies and gaining influence over other non-communist countries.As France and Germany were,in particular,opposed 145 to belligerent US policies,Zhou explained in June 1953 that 'America's [European] allies have already been proven [to Washington]as unreliable.Moreover,America's attempt to round up support from the colonies and semi-colonies had so far been in vain,because these nations have merely waved flags and shouted battle cries'for Washington and hardly followed US policy.4 150 More specifically,Beijing believed that China's willingness to accept peaceful coexistence would enhance its chance to defeat the Western isolation of China. As international peace would forge an environment conducive to economic development,many capitalist countries including Britain,France,Germany,and Japan which had suffered greatly during World War II and remained anxious for their 155 own economic reconstruction,would find it highly desirable to trade with China.Zhou Enlai told his associates at the foreign ministry on 12 August 1954 that Western Europe has to look for a way out by finding a vast [foreign]market in its efforts to restore its economy,and the East-West trade certainly provides that outlet.The Western countries,Zhou continued,all understood that,given its 600 million population, 160 China has always been a very large market and thus to trade with China has enormous potential.To improve the PRC's relations with West European countries,'we will stress [world]peace in our political [propaganda]and foreign trade in our economic policy. These two weapons would hit America's central nerves.Because of its fear of peace,North Africa to keep a distance from America... [the people’s] voice for peace will sound stronger and stronger’.12 While sticking to its anti-imperialism stance, Beijing felt the need to win international sympathy and support. Continuing to ‘expose and criticize US imperialism’, the CCP hoped to demonstrate that the new regime was capable of acting benevolently and responsibly in international politics, so long as it preserved ‘[ideological] principles’. Attempting to exploit world opinion so as to ‘shame’ America, Beijing stressed the need to respect national sovereignty and non￾interference in others’ domestic affairs, which, the CCP propaganda asserted, was the cornerstone of ‘peaceful coexistence’. As the US government could hardly stay away from others’ affairs, China’s adherence to ‘non-intervention and non-interference’ would help galvanize the peoples around the world, including the American people, to disfavour war or confrontation. It was imperative, Zhou Enlai pointed out at a meeting of the foreign ministry in June 1953, to persuade world opinion that ‘we are the ones who advocate to resolve all international disputes through peaceful consultation and negotiation, and the other side is the one who insists on the use of force or hostility in resolving [international] conflicts’. Should military conflict occur, the US, as the ‘perpetrator of war’, would then be blamed rightly and squarely.13 The CCP also looked upon its pursuit of ‘peaceful coexistence’ as a weapon to weaken US ties with its chief allies. Seeing its international position greatly enhanced as a result of its armed intervention in Korea, the CCP leadership believed that America’s prestige and strength were strained. The US would encounter much greater difficulties than before in maintaining control of its allies and gaining influence over other non-communist countries. As France and Germany were, in particular, opposed to belligerent US policies, Zhou explained in June 1953 that ‘America’s [European] allies have already been proven [to Washington] as unreliable’. Moreover, America’s attempt to round up support from the colonies and semi-colonies had so far been in vain, because these nations ‘have merely waved flags and shouted battle cries’ for Washington and hardly followed US policy.14 More specifically, Beijing believed that China’s willingness to accept peaceful coexistence would enhance its chance to defeat the Western isolation of China. As international peace would forge an environment conducive to economic development, many capitalist countries including Britain, France, Germany, and Japan which had suffered greatly during World War II and remained anxious for their own economic reconstruction, would find it highly desirable to trade with China. Zhou Enlai told his associates at the foreign ministry on 12 August 1954 that Western Europe ‘has to look for a way out by finding a vast [foreign] market in its efforts to restore its economy, and the East–West trade certainly provides that outlet’. The Western countries, Zhou continued, all understood that, ‘given its 600 million population, China has always been a very large market and thus to trade with China has enormous potential’. To improve the PRC’s relations with West European countries, ‘we will stress [world] peace in our political [propaganda] and foreign trade in our economic policy’. These two weapons would hit America’s central nerves. ‘Because of its fear of peace’, FCWH 262035—29/8/2007—RAJA—282679 512 S. G. Zhang 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160