ABSTRACT
Deng Xiaoping's "independent foreign policy" was dialectically predicated on "seeking the truth from the facts" and it required above all "peace and development". Deng Xiaoping's Chinese blend of foreign policy idealism and realism has been carried forward since his death in February 1997. This chapter reviews which of Deng's formulations have lasted through time, considers the reasons for their persistence, revision or extension and shows how the original formulations have often been extended to meet changing international circumstances. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and "seeking common ground while reserving differences" have been vigorously reiterated by all leaders since Deng's death so as to promote China's "peace and development". Jiang Zemin's reiteration of Deng's foreign policy precluded "alliances with any country or group of countries and precluded joining any military blocs". The conceptual basis of contemporary foreign policy still derives from the substantive and logical assumptions of Deng's "independent foreign policy" stressing "peace and development".
