Voice
Common security must replace antagonism
By Zhong Cheng  ·  2023-03-03  ·   Source: NO.10 MARCH 9, 2023
Dai Bing, Chargé d'Affaires of China's Permanent Mission to the UN, addresses a Security Council briefing on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York City, the U.S., on February 24 (XINHUA)

One year after Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine, it remains difficult to predict the final outcome of the armed conflict. A protracted war looks probable, if not inevitable.

It has become an established fact, however, that the post-World War II (WWII) international system is under the heaviest pressure since the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s. A new arms race has emerged in many parts of the world, triggered largely by the Ukraine crisis. Trust between major countries is waning, multilateralism is under attack, and unilateralism is rampant. The once-in-a-century pandemic, the Ukraine crisis, the unparalleled sanctions on Russia, the spiraling inflation and a looming recession all overlap one another and have sounded the alarm in the boiler room of the international system.

Lingering ramifications 

The geopolitical plates on the western side of Eurasia are undergoing a profound shift. Europe is now mired in animosity and antagonism against Russia. Russia's relationship with the entire Western world has completely broken down; the country is heading inevitably to the East and South. Ukraine's overall leaning to the West is a fait accompli. European strategic autonomy is dwindling. NATO, once described by French President Emmanuel Macron as "brain dead," is back to life and is taking in new members. The U.S. has strengthened its dominance in Europe by reviving NATO and other institutions.

President Joe Biden had hoped to put America's Russia policy on a "stable and predictable" footing in order to focus on its Indo-Pacific strategy. However, the war in Ukraine is distracting Washington's attention and draining U.S. resources.

The crisis and the harsh Western sanctions against Russia have quickly pushed up already high energy prices, which has led to disruptions in global supply chains and exacerbated persistently high inflation in the U.S. and Europe. The U.S. and other Western countries drew values-based lines in an attempt to construct a politically dominated and segmented globalization to serve geopolitical purposes.

The more profound and serious effect on globalization comes from the political and strategic side. Changes in the geopolitical and strategic landscape of the world that will follow the crisis, as well as deglobalization efforts of different camps, will impede value chains in Europe and Asia. Global trade and investment will also suffer from the threat of separation into multiple camps.

Ordinary people are the ones who bear the brunt of the war. The direct victims of the conflict are the millions of Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homes, resulting in one of the biggest refugee crises Europe has seen since the end of WWII, which will have long-lasting economic and social impacts on the host countries.

The crisis has had a dramatic and far-reaching influence on the global economy, particularly on trade and investment, which are still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and particularly for the European allies of the U.S. These nations are paying a tangible price for the war. The Ukraine crisis is at their doorsteps, with inflows of refugees and energy shortages. The Ukraine crisis has also caused the euro to depreciate and it tumbled to a 20-year low against the U.S. dollar in July 2022.

In parallel, the Ukraine crisis has driven up the costs of food, fuel and fertilizers in many countries, and has also exacerbated the global food crisis. The World Food Program of the UN estimates that 345 million people in 82 countries are facing, or are at risk of, acute food insecurity today, compared with 135 million in 53 countries before the pandemic.

Both sides have accused the other of shelling the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, raising fears of a nuclear disaster. As UN Secretary General António Guterres warned, "the risk of nuclear confrontation is back—something that we have forgotten for decades."

Calls for peace 

On the Ukraine issue, China's position boils down to supporting talks for peace. China stays firm on the side of peace and dialogue.

Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 25, 2022, the second day of the conflict and expressed China's desire to see Russia and Ukraine hold peace talks as early as possible. After that, President Xi held video and phone conversations with leaders of the U.S., France, Germany and Britain, underscoring the need to support dialogue between Russia and Ukraine.

Yang Jiechi, then Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Rome in March 2022. State Councilor Wang Yi has maintained close communication with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and foreign ministers of other countries, exchanging views on the Ukraine crisis.

In March, 2022, China outlined a six-point initiative for preventing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, which calls for making sure that humanitarian operations abide by the principles of neutrality and impartiality; giving full attention to the displaced persons in and from Ukraine; ensuring the protection of civilians; providing for safe and smooth humanitarian aid activities; providing for the safety of foreign nationals in Ukraine; and supporting the UN's coordinating role in channeling humanitarian aid, as well as the work of the UN crisis coordinator for Ukraine. On February 24, it released a document detailing its position on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis (see box).

China has also walked the talk, sending aid to Ukraine. It is not a party directly involved, but it has chosen neither to stand idly by nor add fuel to the fire, still less exploit the crisis. It has not provided military assistance to Russia. Instead it has delivered much-needed humanitarian supplies to Ukraine such as food, baby formula, sleeping bags, quilts and damp-proof mats. In contrast, 95 percent of what the U.S. offers to Ukraine are lethal weapons.

As a responsible major country and a permanent member state of the UN Security Council, China has made its observations on the merits of the matter and remained independent, objective and impartial.

There have been claims that China had prior knowledge of Russia's military action and demanded Russia delay it until the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games had concluded. Rumors further claimed that Russia was seeking military assistance from China. Assertions that China knew about, acquiesced to or tacitly supported this war are purely disinformation. All these misleading claims serve only the purpose of shifting blame to and slinging mud at China.

When the armed conflict began, there were more than 6,000 Chinese citizens in Ukraine. China is the biggest trading partner of both Russia and Ukraine, and the largest importer of crude oil and natural gas in the world. Conflict between Russia and Ukraine does no good for China. Had China known about the imminent crisis, it would have tried its best to prevent it.

There are also voices from the West that have tried to distort China's stance on the crisis, and link China's Taiwan region and Ukraine to play up the risks of a conflict in the Taiwan Straits. These are totally different issues. Ukraine is a sovereign state, while Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory. The Taiwan question is China's internal affair. It does not make sense for people to underline the sovereignty of Ukraine while undermining China's sovereignty and territorial integrity regarding Taiwan. The future of Taiwan lies in the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and the reunification of China. China is committed to peaceful reunification, but also retains all options to curb "Taiwan independence." China hopes the U.S. earnestly abides by the one-China principle and does not support "Taiwan independence" separatist activities in any form.

The way forward must be built on common security rather than antagonism. The vision of common, cooperative, comprehensive and sustainable security should be advocated. A balanced, effective and lasting global and regional security structure requires a global partnership.

The author is an op-ed contributor to Beijing Review and an expert on international studies 

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson 

Comments to yanwei@cicgamericas.com 

China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis 

February 24 

1. Respecting the sovereignty of all countries. Universally recognized international law, including the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, must be strictly observed. The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively upheld. All countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal members of the international community. All parties should jointly uphold the basic norms governing international relations and defend international fairness and justice. Equal and uniform application of international law should be promoted, while double standards must be rejected.  

2. Abandoning the Cold War mentality. The security of a country should not be pursued at the expense of others. The security of a region should not be achieved by strengthening or expanding military blocs. The legitimate security interests and concerns of all countries must be taken seriously and addressed properly. There is no simple solution to a complex issue. All parties should, following the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and bearing in mind the long-term peace and stability of the world, help forge a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture. All parties should oppose the pursuit of one's own security at the cost of others' security, prevent bloc confrontation, and work together for peace and stability on the Eurasian continent. 

3. Ceasing hostilities. Conflict and war benefit no one. All parties must stay rational and exercise restraint, avoid fanning the flames and aggravating tensions, and prevent the crisis from deteriorating further or even spiraling out of control. All parties should support Russia and Ukraine in working in the same direction and resuming direct dialogue as quickly as possible, so as to gradually deescalate the situation and ultimately reach a comprehensive ceasefire.  

4. Resuming peace talks. Dialogue and negotiation are the only viable solution to the Ukraine crisis. All efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis must be encouraged and supported. The international community should stay committed to the right approach of promoting talks for peace, help parties to the conflict open the door to a political settlement as soon as possible, and create conditions and platforms for the resumption of negotiation. China will continue to play a constructive role in this regard.  

5. Resolving the humanitarian crisis. All measures conducive to easing the humanitarian crisis must be encouraged and supported. Humanitarian operations should follow the principles of neutrality and impartiality, and humanitarian issues should not be politicized. The safety of civilians must be effectively protected, and humanitarian corridors should be set up for the evacuation of civilians from conflict zones. Efforts are needed to increase humanitarian assistance to relevant areas, improve humanitarian conditions, and provide rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, with a view to preventing a humanitarian crisis on a larger scale. The UN should be supported in playing a coordinating role in channeling  

humanitarian aid to conflict zones. 

6. Protecting civilians and prisoners of war (POWs). Parties to the conflict should strictly abide by international humanitarian law, avoid attacking civilians or civilian facilities, protect women, children and other victims of the conflict, and respect the basic rights of POWs. China supports the exchange of POWs between Russia and Ukraine, and calls on all parties to create more favorable conditions for this purpose. 

7. Keeping nuclear power plants safe. China opposes armed attacks against nuclear power plants or other peaceful nuclear facilities, and calls on all parties to comply with international law including the Convention on Nuclear Safety and resolutely avoid man-made nuclear accidents. China supports the International Atomic Energy Agency in playing a constructive role in promoting the safety and security of peaceful nuclear facilities. 

8. Reducing strategic risks. Nuclear weapons must not be used and nuclear wars must not be fought. The threat or use of nuclear weapons should be opposed. Nuclear proliferation must be prevented and nuclear crisis avoided. China opposes the research, development and use of chemical and biological weapons by any country under any circumstances. 

9. Facilitating grain exports. All parties need to implement the Black Sea Grain Initiative signed by Russia, Türkiye, Ukraine and the UN fully and effectively in a balanced manner, and support the UN in playing an important role in this regard. The cooperation initiative on global food security proposed by China provides a feasible solution to the global food crisis. 

10. Stopping unilateral sanctions. Unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure cannot solve the issue; they only create new problems. China opposes unilateral sanctions unauthorized by the UN Security Council. Relevant countries should stop abusing unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction against other countries, so as to do their share in deescalating the Ukraine crisis and create conditions for developing countries to grow their economies and better the lives of their people. 

11. Keeping industrial and supply chains stable. All parties should earnestly maintain the existing world economic system and oppose using the world economy as a tool or weapon for political purposes. Joint efforts are needed to mitigate the spillovers of the crisis and prevent it from disrupting international cooperation in energy, finance, food trade and transportation and undermining the global economic recovery. 

12. Promoting post-conflict reconstruction. The international community needs to take measures to support post-conflict reconstruction in conflict zones. China stands ready to provide assistance and play a constructive role in this endeavor. 

(Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs) 

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