国内英语新闻:China hopes for successful commemoration of Bandung Conference

BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- China hopes for a successful commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference in Indonesia, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.

Spokesperson Hong Lei made the comment after Indonesia's Foreign Ministry reportedly said leaders from 17 countries have confirmed their presence in April.

The Bandung Conference focused on Afro-Asian economic and cultural cooperation and led to the birth of the Non-Aligned Movement, an informal alliance among 120 countries and 17 observer countries against imperialism and colonialism.

China has always supported bettering solidarity between Asian and African countries and cooperation to safeguard peace and stability and achieve prosperity, Hong said at a daily news briefing.

"We hope a successful commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference will help promote the Spirit of Bandung under new circumstances and deepen practical cooperation between Asia and Africa as well as build a new type of cooperative, mutually beneficial international relations," he said.

In 1955, 29 Asian-African countries gathered in Bandung, Indonesia to discuss independence, peace and economic prosperity. The conference adopted a final communique containing ten principles, which underline respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations and recognition of the equality of all races and the equality of all nations.

The core principles of the Spirit of Bandung are solidarity, friendship and cooperation.