Africa -China Review Africa -China Cooperation and Transformation
Published: June 03,2024
By Staff writer
Photo credit: The Voice of Vietnam.
The Asia-Pacific region has been one of the most stable regions in the world for the last four decades thus becoming the fastest-growing region in terms of economic and social development. The stability is derived from harnessing state to state relations with mutual respect and embracing peaceful co-existence.
The just concluded 21st Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, was a testimony that defence leaders of the region could come together to exchange ideas on the security situation in the Asia-Pacific region, and beyond. It was a good opportunity to explore the opportunities of working together and how to jointly tackle common challenges.
In the complexity of a fast changing world and power competition, China stands out as a global leader in advocating for peace and security and calls for peaceful resolution of on-going wars ad conflict in the world. China’s proposal of the Global Security Initiative should embraces by all countries to enhance peace, security and development. Wars and conflicts kill innocent people and disrupt development.
Apart from advocating and protecting peace in the Asia-Pacific region, China Army- the Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA) has been engaged in multiple Peace keeping Operations in different countries in the world. Through such efforts, the Chinese traditional idea of “peace among all nations” has been shared with the world. On the ongoing wars between Israel and Palestine, Russia and Ukraine, China came up with proposals for peaceful settlement of the conflicts through political and diplomatic means. On Russia-Ukraine war, China is the only country that came up with a blue print on how to end the war, while on Israel-Palestine, a two state solution is what China puts forward as the lasting solution.
China has been actively implementing the initiative, and has contributed greatly to the reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran. China has called on the warring parties to embrace political and diplomatic means to end the hostilities. According to Chinese wisdom, there is no winner in the war since the war leads to loss of lives which cannot be replaced.
The Asia-Pacific countries have collectively enjoyed four decades of peace because of living to the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-Existence namely: mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non- interference in each other’s internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence. The world lacks global peace and order yet all countries agree to abide by international law and the United Nations Charter which bind countries to live at peace with each other.
The peace dividend seen in the Asia-Pacific region should be a good example for the world to emulate. Countries should avoid conflict by correctly resolving misunderstandings and strengthening state to state relations. The Asia-Pacific region should refrain from being used as proxies in the complex geopolitical competition because this will disrupt the development so far achieved.
