The Bandung Conference was a meeting of Asian and African states, most of which were newly independent, organized by Indonesia, Burma, Ceylon(Sri Lanka), India, and Pakistan. The conference met April 18-April 24, 1955, in Bandung, Indonesia, with the aim of promoting Afro-Asian economic and cultural cooperation and opposing colonialism or neocolonialism by United States, the Soviet Union, or any other imperialistic nation.
Twenty-nine countries representing over half the world's population sent delegates. The conference reflected what they regarded as a reluctance by the Western powers to consult with them on decisions affecting Asia in a setting of Cold War tensions; their concern over tension between the People's Republic of China and the United States; their desire to lay firmer foundations for China's peaceful relations with themselves and the West; their opposition to colonialism, especially French influence in North Africa and French colonial rule in Algeria; and Indonesia's desire to promote its case in the dispute with The Netherlands over western New Guinea (Irian Barat).
Major debate centered around the question of whether Soviet policies in Eastern Europe and Central Asia should be censured along with Western colonialism. A consensus was reached in which "colonialism in all of its manifestations" was condemned, implicitly censuring the Soviet Union, as well as the West. China played an important role in the conference and strengthened its relations with other Asian nations. Chinese prime minister Chou En-lai displayed a moderate and conciliatory attitude that tended to quiet fears of some anticommunist delegates concerning China's intentions.
A 10-point "declaration on promotion of world peace and cooperation," incorporating the principles of the United Nations Charter and Jawaharlal Nehru's principles, was adopted unanimously. The Final Communique of the Conference underscored the need for developing countries to loosen their economic dependence on the leading industrialized nations by providing technical assistance to one another through the exchange of experts and technical assistance for developmental projects, as well as the exchange of technological know-how and the establishment of regional training and research institutes.
The conference ultimately led to the establishment of the Nonaligned Movement in 1961. In later years, conflicts between the nonaligned nations eroded the solidarity expressed at Bandung.
To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Conference, Heads of State and Government of Asian-African countries have been invited to attend a new gathering from 19-23 April 2005 in Bandung. The conference will take place in Gedung Merdeka (Independence Building), the venue of the original conference.
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