The Global Security Initiative: Transcending Western security dilemmas

Editor's note: Wang Qiuyi is vice professor at the Institute of International Relations of China Foreign Affairs University. April 21, 2024 marks the second anniversary of the Global Security Initiative (GSI), a new approach offered by China to eliminating the root causes of international conflicts and achieving durable stability and security. In this article, Wang explains how the GSI is different from the traditional Western security vision. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

The GSI, first proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in 2022, has kept evolving in the context of a deteriorated global security situation with growing uncertainties and intense major-power rivalry.

By staying committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, the GSI not only provides Chinese wisdom on ways for countries around the world to realize durable security, but also differentiates itself from the Western traditional security concept in essence, surpassing the dilemma that the latter generates.

First, the GSI transcends a narrow view of security. Some Western countries seek to maximize their power to ensure their own security and put their own interests above the interests of other countries and international norms. For example, the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has implemented a "small yard, high fence" approach by severely restricting China to have several key technologies. While the GSI upholds the principle of indivisibility of security, it seeks to balance a country's own security with the security of other countries, thus transcending the West's narrow view of pursuing its own and absolute security.

Second, the GSI transcends a hegemonic security view. The initiative respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and the legitimate security concerns of all countries. It opposes the hegemonic security logic of the strong bullying the weak and a single country's monopoly in international security affairs. It emphasizes the equality of security interests of all countries and advocates safeguarding world security on the basis of the collective security mechanism of the United Nations. China is the second-largest contributor to UN peacekeeping assessments and the largest troop contributor to peacekeeping operations among the five permanent members of the Security Council.

Third, the vision of comprehensive security transcends a geographical security view. The western geopolitical security theory stresses geopolitical competition and conflict, focusing on the balance of power, territorial security, and resource control. Such profit-oriented and confrontational vision has worsened the global security situation over the past decades. The GSI, however, emphasizes that no country is exempt from security issues and the safety of every country and its people should be ensured.

It advocates the necessity of cooperative security, which means addressing security differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation, and addressing security challenges through strengthening cooperation and consensus. With China's successful mediation, two old foes in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Iran, have agreed to normalize their ties in March 2023. As two ongoing conflicts cast their shadows over the global security situation, namely the Ukraine crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, China has spared no efforts in calling for peace talks between the relevant parties.

Equally important is that the GSI also transcends a generalized security view. Several Western countries have continued to affix the label of security in the fields of economy, trade, science and technology, education and culture. In contrast to the endless expansion of security issues, the GSI advocates a balanced security concept, calling for a balance of traditional and non-traditional security, cooperation and security, as well as development and security, so as to address security threats to the international community in a balanced and comprehensive manner, and promote common governance of global security issues.