Source: GT    Published: 2023-02-21

A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, China announced in the Global Security Initiative Concept Paper it released on Tuesday amid growing risks and challenges that the world faces today, particularly in light of the Ukraine crisis, with the aim of eliminating the root causes of international conflicts and improving global security.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang told a forum on Tuesday in Beijing that China had officially released the Global Security Initiative Concept Paper, fully elaborating ideas and principles, clarifying cooperation mechanisms and underscoring China's responsibilities and firm determination to safeguard world peace by listing 20 major cooperation directions.

The paper firmly supports a UN-centered security governance structure and supports its efforts to prevent war and lead in post-war reconstruction, calling for major countries to play a leading role on global security issues, to reject hegemony and bullying and to build a peaceful coexistence, delivering stable and balanced relations between major countries, Qin said.  

The concept paper includes several core concepts and principles including remaining committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, taking legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously. It also highlighted that countries should remain committed to peacefully resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation, maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains.

The GSI represents a core idea underscoring a human community with a shared future, which has been welcomed and supported by over 80 countries and regions, Qin said.

To realize this vision, China will hold high-level GSI-related events and invite various parties to discuss security matters, which is not the privilege of a select few countries, the Chinese foreign minister said.

"GSI is open and inclusive, and if any country would join the initiative and sincerely wants to safeguard world peace, we'll support that," Qin said.

As part of the concept paper, China calls on all countries to practice true multilateralism, resisting a Cold War mentality, unilateralism, bloc confrontation and hegemonism. Countries should firmly uphold the consensus that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought and promote political settlement of international and regional hotspot issues.

"It has been a year since the Ukraine crisis has escalated in an all-round way, and the situation has attracted international attention. The Chinese side is deeply concerned about the escalating conflict and potential for developments to spiral out of control," Qin said.

Since the outbreak of the crisis, China's position has always been based on right and wrong and has abided by objectivity and fairness. Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward "four musts", "four commons" and "three points of thinking", which have played a responsible and constructive role in easing the situation and resolving the crisis, Qin said.

China will continue to promote peace talks, provide Chinese wisdom for a comprehensive solution to the Ukraine issue, and work with the international community to promote dialogue and consultation to address the concerns of all parties to seek common security, Qin said. At the same time, we urge relevant countries to immediately stop adding fuel to the fire, stop blaming China and stop provoking the situation by using references like "Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow."

During the speech, Qin also noted that China's development cannot be separated from a stable international environment. Similarly, without China's security, there will be no global security.

"The external suppression and containment of China has been continuously escalated and intensified, posing a serious threat to China's sovereignty and security," he said.

Some attendees at the forum told the Global Times that they welcome China's proposal and that it's important to resolve global and regional issues of concern through dialogue.

"Without peace, there can be no development," Siyabonga Cwele, Ambassador of South Africa to China, told the Global Times during the forum. He noted that the world is facing many crises including the post-pandemic recovery, climate change and non-traditional security threats. "We'll support any initiative that supports sustained peace and development for common prosperity and development," he said.

The South African envoy said what impressed him the most from Qin's speech is that a major country like China is committed to rejecting hegemony and bullying. "We really hope that all developed countries can follow that path of making sure that they don't use their economic strength or military strength to coerce others," Cwele said.

Cwele also noted that China is an important player in the global affairs. "If you isolate China, or if you do not involve China… there can be no sustainable peace," the South African diplomat said in commenting on Qin's words about "without China's security, there will be no global security."

To achieve the global peace and multilateralism, countries should stay committed to openness and inclusiveness, which can't exclude any significant countries like China, he noted.