Security, development main focus for Boao guests

China's initiatives in promoting global security and development are in line with the needs of the international community, experts at the Boao Forum for Asia said.

"China's commitment to the multilateral approach and global partnership is reassuring and encouraging," said Ban Ki-moon, chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia and former secretary-general of the United Nations. He was speaking on Wednesday at a panel entitled "Ensuring Both Development and Security" at the 2023 edition of the forum in South China's Hainan province.

Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Development Initiative at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2021. He proposed the Global Security Initiative at last year's BFA.

Together with the Global Civilization Initiative proposed earlier in March, Ban said these initiatives will be in line with benchmarks from the UN on peace and security and the 2030 agenda on sustainable development goals.

Noting peace and security are prerequisites for achieving sustainable development, which in turn will provide the pathway to peaceful societies, Ban said: "There is no decoupling of the two in any way."

Citing the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict as an example, Danilo Turk, member of the BFA Council of Advisors and former president of Slovenia, said security problems may arise if development activities are not properly implemented.

As China has released its position on the political settlement of the crisis, the paper lays out a conceptual framework for future efforts and is an important step that should be followed by further steps in that regard, Turk said. He is also president of Club de Madrid, a non-profit organization composed of over 100 former head of states and prime ministers.

Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan's minister for planning, development and special initiatives, said a fundamental fact the world needs to embrace today is global security is as important as local security for any country.

Iqbal said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and investment led by the Belt and Road Initiative greatly helped improve the economic and security situation of the South Asian country.

"It is important for developing countries to learn from China's experience and strive to achieve and ensure political stability and continuity of policies, and enhance mechanism to resolve the internal conflicts peacefully," Iqbal said.

For small island states like Dominica, devastating climate change events are a reality they have to face when it comes to security and development, according to Vince Henderson, Dominica's minister for foreign affairs, international business, trade and energy.

While Dominica was still struggling to recover from tropical storm Erika, which wiped out over 90 percent of its GDP in 2015, it was again hit by Hurricane Maria in 2017, resulting in a loss of around $1.3 billion, or about 224 percent of its GDP.

"Financing for development that is appropriately designed is critical," Henderson said, adding the BRI is an appropriately designed initiative which has brought development to millions of people in developing countries and made it possible for many of them to achieve the SDGs.

Noting there have been talks about "debt trap diplomacy" and that China should pull back, former World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said studies have shown the term is "nothing more than a meme".

"If there is one message we give to the Chinese people, it is please don't reduce your ambition to help other countries develop their economies and reduce poverty as you have over the last 30 years," Kim said. He is also partner and vice-chairman of private equity firm Global Infrastructure Partners.

Zhao Fengtao, vice-chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, said security and development are timeless concerns for humanity, adding to realize both is not only a shared goal for all people, but also a major theme of the era.

"China has done an excellent job balancing development and security, achieving long-term stability and economic growth and setting an example for the rest of the world," Zhao said.

"It is a must to work harder to revitalize multilateralism and come together to tackle common challenges," he added, noting global crises require greater cooperation and partnership.

Andy Tsang Wai-hung, deputy director of China National Narcotics Control Commission, said the world must understand profound changes in the international arena can only be adapted to by working together.

"Only through a win-win approach can we rise to the challenges of the increasingly complicated global security landscape," Tsang said.

Contact the writers at kelly@chinadailyapac.com.