By: Wang Yi, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Changes in the world, of our times, and of history are unfolding today in ways like never before,
posing challenges that must be taken seriously by humanity. At this moment critical to world
peace and development, President Xi Jinping made a keynote speech entitled “Rising to
Challenges and Building a Bright Future Through Cooperation” at the opening ceremony of the
Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022, and proposed for the first time the Global Security
Initiative (GSI). This important Initiative gives explicit answers to questions of our times such as
what security concept the world needs and how countries can achieve common security. It fully
demonstrates President Xi Jinping’s concerns for world peace and development, his
internationalist vision, and his leadership as head of a major country. It contributes China’s
wisdom to the efforts of mankind in tackling the peace deficit and offers China’s solution to
addressing international security challenges.
I. Understanding deeply GSI’s practical significance and its values to our times
This major Initiative was proposed to meet the pressing need of the international community
to maintain world peace and prevent conflicts and wars. Humanity has yet to emerge from the
shadow of the pandemic, and the Ukraine crisis is already wreaking havoc. Various traditional and
non-traditional security threats keep flaring up. Peace and development, the theme of our times, is
faced with severe challenges. President Xi Jinping noted that peace is the ever-lasting wish of our
people. Human history has proven time and again that without peace, the development will be like
water without a source; without security, prosperity will be like trees without roots. The GSI is an
effort to stand up to the changes of the world and answer the questions of the times. Building on
the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, the GSI seeks to
promote the establishment of a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture. It thus
offers a new approach to eliminating the root causes of international conflicts and achieving
durable stability and security in the world.
This major Initiative was proposed to meet the common aspirations of all countries to uphold
multilateralism and international solidarity. The world today is facing unprecedented risks of
division. Some countries, stubbornly clinging to the outdated mindset of Cold War confrontation,
are obsessed with building exclusive, small circles, and blocs. They pursue unilateralism in the
name of multilateralism, use double standards while touting their own rules, and practice
hegemony under the guise of democracy. These acts have seriously undermined the international
security order and aggravated the deficit in global security governance. President Xi Jinping
pointed out unequivocally that the Cold War mentality would only wreck the global peace
framework, hegemonism and power politics would only endanger world peace, and that bloc
confrontation would only exacerbate security challenges in the 21st century. The GSI is rooted in
true multilateralism. It calls upon all countries to abide by the purposes and principles of the UN
Charter and reject the obsolete mentality of zero-sum game and bloc confrontation. It advocates
the win-win mindset to address the complex and intertwined security challenges and champions
the spirit of solidarity to adapt to the profoundly changing international landscape. It has provided
a new approach to improving global security governance.
This major Initiative was proposed to meet the shared desire of all people for working
together to overcome difficulties and build a better world beyond the pandemic. At present,
global economic recovery remains sluggish, compounded by rising inflationary pressure and
multiple crises on the financial, trade, energy, food, and industrial- and supply-chain fronts.
However, certain countries want only to impose unilateral sanctions, exercise long-arm jurisdiction,
and insist on building “small yard, high fence” or “parallel systems”. They overstretch the concept of
national security to hold back the economic and technological advances of other countries. This has
worsened the livelihoods of people all over the world, particularly those in developing countries.
President Xi Jinping observed that countries around the world are like passengers aboard the same
ship who share the same destiny. For the ship to navigate the storm and sail toward a bright future,
all passengers must pull together. The thought of throwing anyone overboard is simply not
acceptable. The GSI echoes and reinforces the Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by
President Xi Jinping last year. It accords with the trend of the times featuring peace, development,
and win-win cooperation, and represents a coordinated approach to safeguarding traditional and
non-traditional security. It aims to seek the biggest common denominator and the widest
converging interests in the international community and to provide new support for countries in
boosting livelihoods and development.
II. Getting a good grasp of the logical system and theoretical innovation of the GSI
The GSI is a complete system with rich meaning. It is the important fruit of applying Xi Jinping
Thought on Diplomacy to the field of international security. It also improves and goes beyond the
Western theory of geopolitical security. The GSI is underpinned by “six commitments”, namely,
staying committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security;
staying committed to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries; staying
committed to abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter; staying committed to
taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously; staying committed to peacefully
resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation, and
staying committed to maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains. These
six commitments are interlinked and mutually reinforcing, including macro thinking of top-level
design as well as methods and pathways for addressing practical issues. They form an organic
whole of dialectical unity.
The vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security serves as a
guiding principle for maintaining world peace and tranquility. Since President Xi Jinping
outlined this new vision on security at the Shanghai Summit of the Conference on Interaction and
Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in 2014, it has been widely recognized and
supported by the international community and has become a “golden key” for the world to reduce
security deficit and tackle security challenges. Today, in a world faced with the combined impacts of
the pandemic and major changes both unseen in a century and the shadow of war and conflict, the
significance of this new security vision is all the more evident. It will drive deep into people’s
hearts the idea of peace and cooperation, one about beating swords into plowshares and pursuing
security for all. It will demonstrate the great potential of the new type of security that features
dialogue, partnership, and win-win instead of confrontation, alliance, and a zero-sum approach.
Respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries is the basic prerequisite for
maintaining world peace and tranquility. The principle of sovereignty is the cornerstone for
norms governing international relations in contemporary times. All countries, big or small, strong
or weak, rich or poor, are equal members of the international community. Their internal affairs
brook no external interference, their sovereignty and dignity must be respected, and their rights to
independently choose their social systems and development paths must be upheld. History has
warned us repeatedly that claiming supremacy over others and the strong bullying the weak would
cause instability, and that the law of the jungle and power politics would lead to conflict and chaos.
In this fast-changing world, we must oppose hegemonic infringement on sovereignty and uphold
sovereign independence and equality, so as to ensure that all countries enjoy equal rights and
opportunities and follow the same rules.
Abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter is the fundamental requirement
for maintaining world peace and tranquility. The purposes and principles of the UN Charter are
the result of deep soul-searching by people around the world on the bitter lessons of the two world
wars. They embody humanity’s institutional design for achieving collective security and lasting
peace. As President Xi Jinping noted, the various confrontation and injustices in the world today do
not occur because the purposes and principles of the UN Charter are outdated, but because they
are not effectively implemented. Going through major changes and the pandemic unseen in a
century, we must act on true multilateralism, firmly reject unilateralism and all forms of fake
multilateralism, firmly uphold the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and
principles of the UN Charter, and oppose all “gang rules” set by a few without UN authorization
and at odds with the spirit of the UN Charter.
Taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously is an important principle
for maintaining world peace and tranquility. Humanity is an indivisible security community.
The security of one country should not come at the expense of that of others, and the security of a region
cannot be ensured by strengthening or even expanding military blocs. All countries are equal and
interdependent in terms of security interests. The legitimate and reasonable security concerns of
any country should all be taken seriously and addressed properly, rather than being ignored all
along or systemically challenged. An enduring solution to global security challenges lies in
upholding the principle of indivisible security, taking each other’s legitimate security concerns
seriously, and building a balanced, effective, and sustainable security architecture with a view to
universal and common security.
Resolving differences and disputes between countries peacefully through dialogue and
consultation is the only path to maintaining world peace and tranquility. International
practices have demonstrated fully that neither war nor sanction is a fundamental solution to
disputes, and that dialogue and consultation are the most effective ways to resolve differences.
The international community should unequivocally support all efforts conducive to peaceful
settlement of crises and oppose attempts by any force to fan the flames or to obstruct and scupper
peace talks. All parties should work in concert to defuse tensions, restore stability, promote peace,
and encourage conflicting parties to engage in dialogue and keep the dialogue going so as to build
trust, settle disputes and promote security through dialogue.
Upholding both traditional and non-traditional security is an integral part of the cause of
maintaining world peace and tranquility. With the deepening of economic globalization, the
intention and extension of security are broadening to cover a much larger framework of time,
space, and areas. Security is becoming more interconnected, transnational, and diverse. It thus
necessitates continued creative thinking as well as keeping security cooperation in pace with the
times. Facing complex international security threats such as regional disputes, terrorism, climate
change, and those related to cyber-security and bio-security, no country can stay unaffected or
become a lone island. Only through working together to tide over the difficulties can countries
turn pressure into driving forces and crises into opportunities.
III. Inheriting and promoting the successful practices and valuable experience underpinning
the GSI
The GSI takes root in New China’s independent foreign policy of peace and the practices of this
policy. It is inspired by diplomatic tradition and wisdom with unique Chinese characteristics.
Over the years, as a responsible major country, China has held high the banner of peace,
development, and cooperation for win-win results, and made active contributions to upholding
global peace and security, setting a prime example as a major country.
China keeps to its conviction about peaceful development and remains a committed builder
of world peace. Since the founding of New China, the country has pursued an independent
foreign policy of peace and adhered to the path of peaceful development. It never started a war,
never occupied one inch of a foreign land, never engaged in proxy wars, and never participated in or
organized any military bloc. Among the major countries, China has the best peace and security
record. At present, China remains the only country in the world that undertakes to follow a path of
peaceful development in its constitution and the only one among the five nuclear-weapon states
that have pledged no-first-use of nuclear weapons. No matter how developed China becomes, it will
never seek hegemony, expansion, or sphere of influence, nor will it engage in an arms race. China
will always be a strong pillar for the peace and tranquility of humanity.
China is committed to its international responsibilities and remains a firm defender of the
international order. China is the first founding member of the United Nations to sign on the UN
Charter. It firmly upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and advocates respect
for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. China has dispatched the most
peacekeepers among the permanent members of the UN Security Council. It is the second-largest
contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget. China has taken an active part in international arms
control, disarmament, and non-proliferation processes. It has signed or acceded to more than 20
multilateral arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation treaties, including the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). China opposes
the arms race and upholds global strategic stability. China has pursued cooperation to address all
forms of non-traditional security challenges and provided more than 2.1 billion doses of
COVID-19 vaccines to the international community in an active effort to bridge the
“immunization gap”. China has announced its carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals and
played its part in tackling climate change. It has launched the Global Initiative on Data Security as
its proposed solution to global digital governance.
China stays committed to dialogue and consultation and remains a steadfast mediator of
hot-spot issues. China firmly stands on the side of peaceful dialogue, equity, and justice, and
actively explores solutions with Chinese characteristics to hot-spot issues. In Ukraine, China
takes an objective and fair stance on the basis of the merits and demerits of the issue, and
vigorously advises peace and encourages talks. This has been highly recognized by the international
community, particularly the vast number of developing countries. In the Middle East, China has
put forward a four-point proposal on resolving the Palestinian question and a five-point initiative
on promoting peace and stability in the Middle East. It supports the countries and peoples in the
Middle East in addressing regional security issues through solidarity and coordination and
supports their independent exploration for development paths of their own. On the Iranian nuclear
issue, China actively promotes the negotiations to resume compliance with the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and upholds the international nuclear non-proliferation
regime. On the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, China remains committed to making synchronized
progress in the establishment of a permanent peace mechanism and the denuclearization of the
Peninsula. And it believes that the legitimate concerns of all parties should be addressed in a
balanced manner. In Afghanistan, China has taken the initiative to carry out international
coordination and provide humanitarian assistance, playing a constructive role in the smooth
transition of the situation in Afghanistan.
IV. Implementing fully the major propositions and policy goals of the GSI
Visions set the course, and actions shape the future. More than proposing the GSI, China acts on
this major Initiative. We stand ready to work with the international community to ensure that the
GSI, put forward by President Xi Jinping, will take root and come into fruition, so that the world
will enjoy greater peace, security, and prosperity.
We need to firmly uphold the authority and stature of the UN and jointly practice true
multilateralism. Multilateral institutions provide the main platforms for practicing multilateralism
and the basic framework for defending it. We need to unswervingly uphold the UN-centered
the international system, the international order underpinned by international law, and humanity’s
common values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom. We must reject
attempts to stoke confrontation and division along ideological lines, forge “small circles”, undermine the international order in the name of preserving so-called “rules”, and put the world
under the shadow of a “new Cold War”. We need to stick to the overall direction of promoting talks for peace and jointly explore
political solutions to hot-spot issues. It is important to strengthen strategic communication
among countries to enhance mutual security confidence, diffuse tensions, manage differences and
eliminate the root causes of crises. We need to actively explore possibilities for cooperation between
states, expand the convergence of security interests, and nurture international and regional security
dynamics that balance the aspirations and accommodate the interests of all parties. Major
countries shoulder a special and important responsibility in resolving international and regional
hot-spot issues. They must uphold justice, encourage dialogue, facilitate talks for peace, play good
offices and mediate in light of the needs and will of the countries concerned, and act as anchors of
peace instead of fire bellows in the likelihood of conflicts.
We need to take a holistic approach to traditional and non-traditional security threats, and
jointly improve the global security governance system. Facing various types of security threats,
countries must unite and cooperate rather than act on one’s own. We need to further strengthen
international solidarity against COVID-19, improve global governance in public health, and
ensure the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries, so as to foster a
the strong synergy of COVID response. We need to work together to counter terrorism, the common
enemy of humanity, build a global nuclear security architecture featuring fairness and win-win
cooperation, improve rules of governance on new frontiers such as the deep sea, polar regions,
outer space and the Internet, and follow the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution
and shared benefits in global governance, so as to prevent and resolve security dilemmas.
We need to strike a balance between development and security, and jointly contribute to a
robust recovery of the world economy. More emphasis should be put on development to
actively improve people’s living standards, narrow the wealth gap, bridge the development divide,
and promote balanced, coordinated, and inclusive global development. We need to stay committed
to building an open world economy, strengthen policy coordination, keep global industrial and
supply chains stable and smooth, resolutely oppose decoupling and supply disruption, and make
globalization more open, inclusive, balanced, and beneficial for all. We need to actively implement
the GDI, place development high on the global macro policy agenda, better synergize
development strategies, and accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development to enhance sustainable security through sustainable development.
We need to seek to build a new regional security architecture and jointly protect peace and
stability in Asia. Asia is an anchor for world peace, a powerhouse for global growth, and a new
pacesetter for international cooperation, and it needs a new security architecture compatible with
its economic foundation. We should build a model of security for Asia featuring mutual respect,
openness, and integration that takes into account the diversity of Asian countries in terms of
development stages, social systems, and cultural values and accommodate the aspirations and
interests of all parties. We must firmly oppose any attempt to divide the region and wage a “new
Cold War” through the so-called Indo-Pacific strategy, and reject the attempt to piece together an
Asia-Pacific version of NATO through military alliances. We must firmly uphold ASEAN
centrality in the regional architecture, advocate the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and
the Bandung Spirit, deepen regional and sub-regional security cooperation, and find a path for
Asia that ensures security for all, by all, and of all.
By following the trend of history and taking the right path, one can reach high and go far. China
stands ready to work with all peace-loving countries and peoples committed to development to
carry out the GSI put forward by President Xi Jinping, open up a broad path toward lasting peace
and universal security, and forge a strong synergy to build a community with a shared future for
mankind. Let the torch of peace be passed on from generation to generation and the sound of
peace echo throughout