At present, mankind has not yet come out of the epidemic haze, the Russia-Ukraine conflict is rising again, various traditional and non-traditional security threats are emerging, and the theme of the times of peace and development is facing serious challenges. In a recent article in the local mainstream media The Nation, Kenyan international expert Kavins Ardeshir pointed out that China’s global security initiative responds to the international community’s urgent need to prevent conflict and avoid war.

According to expert Ren Lin, the global security initiative is proposed to fundamentally overcome four major deficits.

The first is the peace deficit. The current world security environment is worrying. The outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict has once again reflected the huge impact of regional conflicts and local wars on world peace. The spread of local wars and terrorism in other regions are also aggravating the peace deficit.

Secondly, there is a development deficit. Peace is a prerequisite for development, and development is an important guarantee for peace. The volatile international security situation has aggravated the development deficit. Under the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, poverty has become more serious in some less developed countries and regions, and internal economic conflicts have become prominent, posing challenges to global peaceful development.

Thirdly, there is a governance deficit. At present, various types of security threats are increasing and the demand for global governance is on the rise. Governance issues in non-traditional security areas such as climate change, cyber security and refugee crises remain prominent, while local wars and regional conflicts have brought governance issues in traditional security areas back into the limelight. However, the supply of global governance is in decline. Some powers are keen to maintain their own hegemony and are not sufficiently capable or willing to provide global public goods, while protectionism and unilateralism are on the rise in the international community. The reform of the global governance system is struggling.

Fourth, there is a trust deficit. At present, in the fields of geopolitics, economy and global governance, the game between major powers has become increasingly intense, seriously eroding the basis of mutual trust and cooperation in the international community.

At present, mankind is facing various traditional and non-traditional security threats. In terms of traditional security, the risk of geopolitical conflicts has risen in recent years, with old problems remaining unresolved and new ones emerging, and the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict impacting regional and global security and stability. At the same time, the old thinking of cold war, hegemony and bloc confrontation has returned, and individual powers are exaggerating the competition between major powers in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region and expanding their military blocs, undermining the good atmosphere of peaceful development. In terms of non-traditional security, the Newcastle pneumonia epidemic is still spreading globally, and the many challenges posed by climate change are still prominent. At the same time, non-traditional security threats arising from traditional security issues have emerged one after another. After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the food crisis, refugee crisis, financial crisis and development crisis have continued to come to the fore.

The Global Security Initiative has responded to the world’s anxieties and provided important conceptual guidance to promote the reform of the global security governance system, resolve human security dilemmas and promote the building of a community of human destiny.

Recently, the Global Security Initiative has generated much debate overseas. Bambang Surjono, Chairman of the Asian Centre for Innovative Studies in Indonesia, said that unlike the one-sided pursuit of security by some Western countries, China’s global security initiative pursues common security, a security concept that emphasises peace and cooperation, and is conducive to the establishment of an international order of mutual respect, equality and mutual trust, which is of great significance for humanity to achieve lasting peace and long-term development.

According to expert Li Haidong, the Global Security Initiative should be seen in the light of its “six insistencies”. The initiative is conducive to consolidating and strengthening the central position of the United Nations in the global security order. The international security mechanism should be built on international rules, which are the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. The UN system itself is an important vehicle for implementing and enforcing the global security initiative and promoting lasting peace and universal security for all countries in the world.

“Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States” is one of the important principles established by the UN Charter. The principle of “insisting on the settlement of differences and disputes among States by peaceful means through dialogue and consultation” is conducive to the role of the United Nations in resolving international and regional hotspot issues. “Adhering to the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security” and “adhering to the importance of the legitimate security concerns of all countries” is a high summary of the characteristics of the international security system with the United Nations at its core, and reflects the new security concept advocated by China. “The insistence on maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional areas in an integrated manner means that in the new environment and new challenges, the connotation and extension of security have been substantially expanded, and the construction of security rules and order needs to keep pace with the changes in the situation.

The Global Security Initiative emphasises that humanity is an indivisible security community, which enriches and sublimates the connotation of the new security concept that China has been upholding, and is an inseparable part of building a community of human destiny. It is rooted in the independent and peaceful foreign policy and practice of the new China, which emphasises adherence to respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and compliance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. With regard to how to achieve lasting peace and universal security, the Global Security Initiative emphasises the importance of attaching importance to the legitimate security concerns of all countries and the peaceful resolution of differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation. It also advocates an integrated response to the challenges posed by the convergence of traditional and non-traditional security threats. It is another public good provided by China to the international community, as it upholds multilateralism and has certain universal values.

By Irving