Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

The first large-scale gathering of leaders from 29 African and Asian states opened up cooperation between the two continents 60 years ago. The Bandung Conference, whose participants were mostly newly independent nations, aimed to promote Afro-Asian economic and cultural exchanges and oppose colonialism by any nation.

One of the biggest legacies of the conference has been its 10-point declaration on promotion of world peace and cooperation, which incorporates and develops the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence proposed by China, India, and Myanmar in the 1950s.

Amid disagreements and even hostilities, which were about to lead the meetings astray, then Chinese premier Zhou Enlai put forward the norms of "seeking common ground while reserving differences," which won the agreements of most participants and helped the conference conclude.

Sixty years on, although they have different political and economic models, a group of Asian and African countries have grown to be emerging economies, acting as new robust engines to boost global economy.

No one can ignore the fact that the gap between different Asian and African states is widening, while the levels of development vary in different countries in a severely unbalanced manner.

Afro-Asian cooperation has few down-to-earth arrangements but an old and vulnerable political consensus. Without pragmatic and hefty economic exchanges and a sturdy systematic guarantee, Afro-Asian cooperation is beset with difficulties, especially in the context of neocolonialism schemed by the West.

The Bandung spirit of unity, friendship and cooperation needs to be injected with a contemporary impetus so that it can address these issues. The 60th anniversary of the conference, which will be celebrated in Indonesia on Wednesday, will mark a new beginning for Afro-Asian cooperation.

Asian and African countries are forming a community of common destiny. Most of them created diverse cultures in ancient times, but fell victim to bloody colonialism in modern times.

Now, in a bid for rejuvenation, they are endeavoring to industrialize their economies and modernize their societies.

The sense of common destiny needs to be reinforced so that African and Asian countries can be stronger as a whole to deal with global challenges. The Bandung spirit should be rooted in real actions as a major drive to enhance Afro-Asian cooperation.

The progress of cooperation in security, economy, culture and education is the key to reinvigorating Afro-Asian relations.

The existing bilateral or multilateral mechanisms between African and Asian states should be activated to address non-traditional security issues like anti-terrorism, food safety, cross-border crimes and energy security. Through effective capability building, Afro and Asian countries will be more able to counter the threats posed by these issues, creating and preserving a stable environment for development.

The 60th anniversary serves as a golden opportunity for all participants to work out a regular mechanism for economic cooperation. This will transfer their commitment into real action, which can profit these nations through entrenched trade and investment.

Countries in the two continents need to improve their cultural and educational relations to solicit more popular support. It is essential to alleviating misunderstandings and disagreements between each other.

China's vigorous economy has ushered in a free trade zone with ASEAN, and is also a role model of Afro-Asian cooperation.

China's initiatives such as the "One Belt and One Road" and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will become hot topics in the upcoming commemoration. Discussions of these projects will inspire all participants to produce a "Bandung Message" for the future of Afro-Asian cooperation.

The author is a senior fellow of the National Institute of International Strategy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn