The outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict has prompted the international community to reflect upon security issues plaguing today’s world.
“The root cause of the Ukraine crisis is the regional security tensions in Europe that have built up over the years. A fundamental solution is to accommodate the legitimate security concerns of all relevant parties,” pointed out Chinese President Xi Jinping when meeting via video link with President Charles Michel of the European Council and President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission on the evening of April 1.
By advocating the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, China has played a constructive role in easing the tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
In today’s world where economic globalization is enjoying intensive development, all countries share weal and woe and a common future, and no country in the world can enjoy absolute security.
Under such new circumstances, the implications of security go far beyond the security based on confrontation and balance of power during the Cold War, but show more interconnectedness and diversity.
A new security situation in the world calls for a new vision of security. “We need to keep pace with the changing circumstances and evolving times. One cannot live in the 21st century with the outdated thinking from the age of Cold War and zero-sum game. We believe that it is necessary to advocate common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security in Asia,” Xi said at the fourth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia in 2014.
Since then, the Chinese leader has continuously expounded on and developed this security outlook to facilitate the adoption of a new security vision in line with the trend of the times by the international community, which fully demonstrates China’s sincere desire to strengthen global security governance.
The vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security is based on profound insights into the experience and lessons learned by human society in dealing with security issues and focused on the goal of long-term peace, stability and security of the world. It has injected new and rich connotations into global security governance.
Common security means respecting and ensuring the security of each and every country involved. Security is a two-way and interconnected issue, Xi said at the opening ceremony of the 86th Interpol General Assembly in 2017. It is inadvisable for a country to care only about its own security in total disregard of the security of others and seek the so-called absolute security of itself at the expense of the security of others, such practice would end up hurting oneself.
Comprehensive security means upholding security in both traditional and non-traditional fields. As traditional security threats and non-traditional ones are intertwined, only by introducing a multi-pronged and comprehensive policy can countries effectively deal with various security challenges.
Cooperative security means promoting the security of both individual countries and the region as a whole through dialogue and cooperation. As a Kazakh proverb goes, “One who tries to blow out other’s oil lamp will get his beard on fire”, which is a vivid reflection of the current reality. Countries must abandon the zero-sum game mentality and promote peace and security through cooperation.
Sustainable security means that the countries involved need to focus on both development and security to realize durable security. Only by paying attention to development deficit behind security deficit can countries consolidate the foundations for security and address both symptoms and root causes of security issues.
The Ukrainian crisis has made the world realize that in this day and age, global and regional security frameworks should no longer be built with Cold War mentality.
To promote a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and the resumption of peace, China has continuously promoted peace talks, stressed that a fundamental solution to the crisis is to accommodate the legitimate security concerns of all relevant parties, and supported the establishment of a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism.
China’s constructive stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict demonstrates its sense of responsibility as a major country in practicing the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and persisting in world peace construction.
However, the NATO led by the U.S. has sought its own security at the expense of the security of other countries and regions and pursued regional security by expanding a military bloc with Cold War mentality, posing the biggest threat to international security.
The Ukraine crisis has revealed to the world that real security requires joint construction and sharing, rather than forming a small circle to keep others out by exaggerating security threats.
At present, the world is neither tranquil nor stable. The prevailing trend of peace and development is facing serious challenges. Therefore, upholding and practicing a correct security vision becomes a matter of great urgency.
China will stick to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and join hands with other countries to strengthen global security governance, address various security challenges, and make unremitting efforts to build a world of lasting peace and universal security.
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