Small countries should not be provocative: FM  

外交部：反对大国欺负小国 小国也不能无理取闹

华春莹表示，中国在国际关系中一向倡导大小国家一律平等，恪守和平共处五项原则，主张各国本着相互尊重，平等相待，互不干涉内政的原则发展友好合作关系。我们反对大国欺负小国，同时也认为小国不能无理取闹。大家应该相互尊重，平等相待，发展互利合作。这不仅对当事国有利，对地区对世界都有利。 [查看全文]

China opposes big countries bullying smaller ones, but small countries should not deliberately be provocative, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said on Thursday.

Hua Chunying's comment came in response to a journalist's question about whether China should change its propaganda that portrays Vietnam as a small country that attacks China.

"I don't know about the background and the purpose of your question. I have never read about similar reports or comments," Hua said at a regular news briefing.

China has always advocated that countries, big or small, are equal and has adhered to the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, Hua said.

China supports all countries to develop friendly and cooperative relations based on mutual respect, equality and non-interference in each other's domestic affairs, she said.

"We should respect and treat each other equally to develop mutually beneficial cooperation, which will be conducive to the parties involved as well as the region and world," the spokeswoman said.

China fought battles with Vietnam along the Sino-Vietnamese border in February 1979.