In April 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping introduced the Global Security Initiative (GSI), aiming to reshape the landscape of international security. Initially, the Western political mainstream dismissed the GSI as another facet of China's \"charm offensive\" in the Global South, criticizing it for lacking substantial content.
Western media commentators argued that one of the GSI's objectives was to create divisions between the U.S. and Europe by engaging European leaders in unproductive discussions about a new world order. This skeptical view extended to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' concept paper on the principles, priorities, and mechanisms of global security released in February, which many Western politicians, academics, and journalists saw as an attempt by Beijing to bolster its global influence with vague and impractical ideas.
Despite these Western biases, which are arguably inevitable given the current geopolitical tensions, it is essential to look beyond the surface and assess the GSI with a clearer perspective. The initiative provides valuable insight into the Chinese leadership's intentions and what they aim to prevent in global politics.
Beijing explicitly rejects the emerging international bipolarity and does not adhere to the traditional U.S. stance of \"who is not with us, is against us.\" Concepts like \"Chimerica\" or a U.S.-China duumvirate managing global affairs do not align with China's preferred approach. While international bipolarity remains a possibility, it is not the path China advocates for.
The GSI emphasizes opposition to any rigid, hierarchical structures in the future international system. China recognizes the diverse sizes, populations, economic and military strengths, and global influences of different countries but upholds that every nation has an inherent right to security, sovereignty, and independent participation in the international arena.
A significant aspect of the GSI is its rejection of a zero-sum approach to global politics. Instead of viewing international relations as a battle of winners and losers, the initiative promotes the idea that all members of the international community share both gains and losses. This perspective underscores the belief that exclusive blocks or closed alliances cannot guarantee ultimate security for their members. Instead, collective security benefits the entire international community.
The GSI also broadens the concept of security beyond traditional parameters, incorporating non-traditional threats such as cybercrime, climate change, and biodiversity loss. By advocating for a multifaceted and holistic approach to security challenges, the GSI highlights the interconnected and transnational nature of modern security issues, urging humanity to address them collectively rather than selectively.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
