China's proposal for solving global security challenges

Mrs. Fu lihua, the charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Tehran made the remarks in an exclusive memo to DayliNews.ir news agency regarding the security document announced recently by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.

The full text of the memo is as follows:

In April 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Security Initiative (GSI), which aims to create a new path to security that features dialogue over confrontation, partnership over alliance and win-win over zero-sum. It provides a new course and new approach to addressing the root causes of international conflicts and solving security challenges facing humanity. On February 21, 2023, China officially released the Global Security Initiative Concept Paper. The concept paper expounds the core ideas and principles of the GSI, and identifies the priorities, platforms and mechanisms of cooperation, which provide a practical China’s Proposal for Solving Security Challenges.

The Global Security Initiative Concept Paper elaborates on the core ideas and principles of the GSI, which are “six commitments”:

—Stay committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. The essence of this new vision of security is to advocate a concept of common security, respecting and safeguarding the security of every country. It emphasizes on a holistic policy approach, maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains and enhancing security governance in a coordinated way. It stays committed to cooperation, bringing about security through political dialogue and peaceful negotiation. It pursues sustainable security, resolving conflicts through development and eliminating the breeding ground for insecurity.

—Stay committed to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. Sovereign equality and non-interference in internal affairs, which are basic principles of international law and the most fundamental norms governing contemporary international relations, should be respected. All countries’ right to independently choose social systems and development paths must be upheld. Sovereign independence and equality must be upheld, and efforts should be made for all countries to enjoy equality in terms of rights, rules and opportunities.

—Stay committed to abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. We should practice true multilateralism, firmly uphold the international system with the UN at its core, the international order underpinned by international law and the basic norms of international relations underpinned by the UN Charter and uphold the authority of the UN and its status as the main platform for global security governance. The Cold War mentality, unilateralism, bloc confrontation and hegemonism contradict the spirit of the UN Charter and must be resisted and rejected.

—Stay committed to taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously. All countries are equal in terms of security interests. The principle of indivisible security must be upheld to build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture. We oppose to base the security of one country on the insecurity of other countries.

—Stay committed to peacefully resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation. International community should support all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of crises, and encourage conflicting parties to build trust, settle disputes and promote security through dialogue. Major countries must uphold justice, fulfill their due responsibilities, support consultation on an equal footing. Abusive unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction should be opposed.

—Stay committed to maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains. We advocate all countries to practice the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits in global governance, and work together to address regional disputes and global challenges such as terrorism, climate change, cybersecurity and biosecurity. There should be concerted efforts to explore multiple channels, develop a holistic solution, and improve relevant rules, so as to find sustainable solutions, promote global security governance and prevent and resolve security challenges.

The Global Security Initiative Concept Paper lays out 20 priorities of cooperation in response to the most significant and pressing international security concerns at present, which are all highly action-oriented. The 20 priorities of cooperation could be summarized as upholding the UN’s central role in security governance, promoting coordination and sound interactions among major countries, facilitating peaceful settlement of hotspot issues through dialogue, tackling traditional and non-traditional security challenges, and strengthening the system and capacity for global security governance. The concept paper also clarifies the platforms and mechanisms for global security cooperation.

Since its inception, more than 80 countries and international organizations have expressed approval and support for the GSI, and Middle Eastern countries have widely welcomed it. As the Middle East region is crucial to world peace and security, the Global Security Initiative Concept Paper attaches importance to the promotion of the regional security and puts it at the forefront of the 20 priorities of cooperation. The concept paper also puts forward the implementation of China’s five-point proposal on realizing peace and stability in the region, including advocating mutual respect, upholding equity and justice, realizing non-proliferation, jointly fostering collective security, and accelerating development cooperation, so as to jointly establish a new security framework in the Middle East. It’s necessary to support the positive momentum and the efforts of Middle East countries to strengthen dialogue and improve their relations, accommodate the reasonable security concerns of all parties, and strengthen the internal forces of safeguarding regional security. The international community should take practical steps to achieve a just solution to the Palestinian question at an early date. China is willing to take the implementation of the GSI as an opportunity to work with Middle East countries and the international community to jointly promote the construction of a new security architecture in the Middle East and realize the vision of regional peace and security.

Iran, as a major country with important influence in the Middle East, can play a positive role in promoting regional security. During the state visit to China that just concluded, President Ebrahim Raisi emphasized that Iran firmly supported and would actively participate in the GSI. China and Iran have also written this consensus in the Joint Statement between the People’s Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Iran. All these have laid the solid foundation for the joint implementation of GSI.

Security is a right for all countries. The GSI intends to serve the interests of all and protect tranquility for all. China stands ready to follow the principle of mutual respect, openness and inclusion, multilateralism, mutual benefit and win-win and a holistic approach and work with countries around the world to ensure that the GSI will take root and come into fruition, in that way to take real actions on adding more stability and certainty to the fluid and changing world, and jointly building a safer world.

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