GSI aims to safeguard security in Asia-Pacific

Delivering a keynote speech, titled "China's New Security Initiative", at the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 4, State Councilor and Defense Minister Li Shangfu said that, in order to implement the China-proposed Global Security Initiative, we must stand on the right side of history and on the side of the common interests of countries in the Asia-Pacific region. To do this, we must replace bullying with mutual respect, supplant the law of the jungle with equity and justice, eliminate the risks of conflicts through mutual trust and consultations, and prevent confrontations by adhering to openness and inclusiveness.

China's modernization has injected a new impetus into global economic development and global poverty reduction efforts, and the more than 50,000 peacekeeping Chinese personnel that have taken part in UN peace missions have made significant contributions to promoting world peace. Also, China is willing to work with all parties to build a higher-level security and mutual trust mechanism, promote just security rules, establish a comprehensive multilateral security mechanism, and engage in more substantial and effective defense and security cooperation.

Regarding Beijing's core interests, including the Taiwan question and the South China Sea issue, Li reaffirmed Beijing's firm stance of not making any compromises, while expressing concerns over deteriorating Sino-US relations, and refuting accusations of Beijing being unwilling to hold talks.

Li's speech indicates that China will continue promoting inclusiveness and positivity in international relations in a bid to safeguard collective human security.

With the United States intensifying major power competition in recent years, strategic mutual trust in the Asia-Pacific has been eroded, Cold War mentality has resurfaced, Sino-US relations have deteriorated, and bloc confrontations have intensified. It is with the aim of resolving these and other burning issues that China has put forward the Global Security Initiative, which advocates the establishment of a new type of international relations, promoting peaceful development and striving to steer humanity toward a safer direction.

However, the US has been strengthening its military alliances and playing zero-sum games in the Asia-Pacific, which have led to militarization of, and polarization among Asia-Pacific countries, increasing the threat of conflict.

In contrast, China advocates common security, comprehensive security, cooperative security and sustainable security, attaching greater importance to the legitimate security concerns of all countries and seeking a path to peace.

From President Xi Jinping's proposal of the Global Security Initiative in April 2022 to the release of the Global Security Initiative Concept Paper by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in February 2023, and now with Defense Minister Li's statement on the implementation of the initiative, China's new security concept continues to deepen and consolidate cooperation to promote peace.

On the other hand, Washington has been building exclusive "small cliques "such as AUKUS (a trilateral security partnership among Australia, the United Kingdom and the US) and the Quad (comprising the US, Japan, India and Australia) to further its narrow goals in the Asia-Pacific. The US also demands that countries take sides, because its aim is to trigger confrontations and conflicts with China, in order to consolidate its global hegemony.

The US, given its ulterior motives, turns a blind eye to China's sincere efforts to promote mutual benefit, help establish an open and inclusive regional security architecture, and build unity among countries in the region and beyond to address common challenges facing humanity and improve global governance. The US also conveniently ignores the fact that China recently brokered a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and has been trying to mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine and calling for a cease-fire to help resolve the Ukraine crisis, and promoting peace with the aim of helping build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Washington has also been violating international relations norms, using long-arm jurisdiction to impose its rules and laws on countries in the region, and resorting to double standard in order to maintain its hegemony.

Totally different from the US, China upholds the world order centered on the UN, promotes genuine multilateralism, and calls for the joint construction of security rules and mechanisms with other countries based on mutual trust, which reflects its goal of improving interstate security relations through the Global Security Initiative.

The author is a military expert at the People's Liberation Army Academy of Military Sciences.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.