Multilateralism, solidarity key to global security: China Daily editorial

In his speech delivered at the 58th Munich Security Conference via video link on Saturday, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi offered China's prescription for the worsening global security situation.

In the past few years, the most frequently discussed topic at the security conference has been the growing sense of "uncertainty". This year, Wang observed, that has been replaced by a sense of "helplessness". To many around the world, peace, stability and security seem to be impossible dreams.

Saying that as China sees it, the warnings of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the world is at risk of division are not alarmist and that the world does indeed face "the danger of division and confrontation", he stressed the need for greater solidarity and cooperation under the banner of multilateralism.

China's perspective on international security stems from its vision of the world as a community with a shared future, not a chessboard for some countries to stage a zero-sum game and compete for selfish security interests at the expense of other's legitimate security interests and needs. Stating that the relations between countries should not be simplistically defined by competition only, Wang said that "no country should be fixated on turning back the wheel of history and repeating the past mistakes of forging rivaling alliances".

Although he didn't refer to it by name, the United States is clearly the leading contender for such a mentality and faux pas, with the nouveau Cold War warriors in Washington tirelessly seeking to sow the seeds of ideological difference and fueling confrontation.

Instead of engaging in dialogue to bridge gaps and resolve differences, they constantly seek to stoke confrontation. The Ukraine crisis being a case in point. The US and its Western allies, which are obviously trying to exploit Ukraine as a pawn in the geopolitical competition with Russia, have been constantly hyping up Russian aggression, when it is they that are pushing the situation to war.

They habitually give cold shoulders to mutual respect, equality and non-interference in this way in a bid to impose their own values and will onto others.

As long as the US and its allies refuse to discard their outdated security perspective, the world can never secure peace. Their belief that they can shape the world to their will has time and again been shown to be nothing more than wishful thinking. While their repeated attempts to fish for their own strategic gains and maintain their supremacy have left a trail of destruction and suffering in their wake.

The troubles of the world do not allow for such ambition and selfishness. Instead, as Wang urged, countries should follow the example of the athletes at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, where even the "strongest contenders can compete peacefully and cheer for one another, because their goal is not to beat others but to surpass themselves".