CHINESE State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu on Sunday elaborated on China’s new security initiative. The sustained prosperity and stability in the Asia-Pacific region hinges on a sound security and development environment, Li said at the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. The Chinese defense minister put forward a four-point proposal on how to pursue security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. First, mutual respect should prevail over bullying and hegemony. “We are strongly opposed to imposing one’s own will on others, placing one’s own interests above those of others, and pursuing one’s own security at the expense of others,” he said, citing that some country has willfully interfered in other countries’ internal affairs and meddled in the affairs of other regions. Second, fairness and justice should transcend the law of the jungle. All countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal members of the international community. International affairs should be handled by all countries through consultation rather than be dictated by one or a few countries, Li said. “China always advocates and stays committed to improving justice and equity in the world, and firmly upholds the U.N.-centered international system, the international order underpinned by international law and basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter,” he added. Third, eliminating conflicts and confrontation through mutual trust and consultation. It is natural for countries to disagree with each other. But there are two approaches to addressing differences, Li said, underlying that one is exacerbating tension and adding fuel to flames while the other is seeking consensus and promoting reconciliation and negotiations. “China is committed to upholding peace in handling international crises. On issues concerning the Middle East, the Korean Peninsula and Ukraine, China has played a constructive role and made great efforts to cool down the situation and facilitate political reconciliation,” the minister noted. Fourth, preventing bloc confrontation with openness and inclusiveness. The Cold War mentality is now resurging and greatly increasing security risks of bloc confrontation in the Asia-Pacific, Li said, citing that some big power continued to promote its so-called “Indo-Pacific Strategy” at the Shangri-La Dialogue. China holds that no strategy should be based on ideological ground and aim to build exclusive military alliances against imagined threats, as this could easily lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy, he stressed. “The true design of pushing for NATO-like military alliances in the Asia-Pacific is to hold countries in the region hostage and play up conflict and confrontation. Such attempts will only plunge the region into a whirlpool of division, disputes and conflicts,” the Chinese minister said. (Xinhua) | 