Beijing: While stressing that Panchsheel is relevant even today, China has said it would cooperate with India to explore how the five principles of peaceful co-existence could play its "due role" in the establishment of a new international economic and political order.

The five principles of peaceful co-existence, in the past 50 years, have played an important role in handling State-to-State relationships and solving international issues, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said today (Jun 8, 2004).

The five principles, jointly initiated by India, China and Myanmar in 1954 include mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit and peaceful co-existence.

"Even today, the five principles are still significant," Liu said while responding to a question on the upcoming celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of Panchsheel.

He said that China and India will jointly sponsor a series of events to mark the 50th anniversary of the initiation of the principles.