In April 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Security Initiative at the opening ceremony of the Bo’ao Forum for Asia Annual Conference, comprehensively elaborating China’s position and proposition for promoting shared security and maintaining world peace and tranquility. This initiative has provided further direction for addressing global governance challenges, including the issue of Afghanistan, and building a community with a shared future for mankind. Over the past year, China has actively practiced the concept of the Global Security Initiative, continuously contributing “Chinese wisdom” and “Chinese solutions” to the historical trend of peace, development, cooperation, and win-win outcomes for people around the world.
The Global Security Initiative originates from China’s vivid practice of independent and peaceful diplomacy. The aim of the initiative is to eliminate the root causes of international conflicts, to improve global security governance, and to promote international cooperation in injecting more stability and certainty into an era of turbulent changes, so as to achieve lasting peace and development in the world. The Chinese nation has a fine traditional culture of valuing and seeking harmony while preserving differences, and pursuing harmony among all nations, which has been passed down through generations.
In modern times, the Chinese people have suffered greatly from aggression by foreign powers and deeply understand the cruelty of war and the preciousness of peace. The Chinese people empathize with the sufferings endured by the Afghan people and have high hopes for their future development. Therefore, China adheres to the path of peaceful development, commits to upholding international fairness and justice, and never sacrifices the interests of other countries in its pursuit of national rejuvenation and growth. China strives to play a constructive role in properly addressing the Afghan issue with an objective and impartial attitude. Recently, under China’s mediation, Saudi Arabia and Iran, which had severed ties for seven years, achieved a historic reconciliation. As a responsible major country, we have effectively eased regional tensions and promoted peaceful development and security stability among regional countries.
The Global Security Initiative will contribute to achieving peace, stability, and economic reconstruction in Afghanistan. China actively practices the Global Security Initiative, adheres to the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness in its neighborhood diplomacy, and stands with the Afghan people. President Xi Jinping pointed out that the Chinese people always closely follow and selflessly assist the people of countries that are still living in war, turmoil, hunger, and poverty. China is always willing to make the greatest efforts to contribute to the peace and development of mankind.
Recently, China issued its position on the Afghan issue, fully demonstrating our comprehensive, fair, and objective stance. We reaffirmed China’s consistent policy of “three respects” and “three nevers” regarding the Afghan issue, expressing our sincere desire and firm determination to support Afghanistan in exploring a modernization path that suits its national conditions and helping Afghanistan become a peaceful oasis and prosperous land on the Silk Road. We always support Afghanistan in resolutely and forcefully combating terrorism, preventing Afghanistan from once again becoming a haven, breeding ground, or source of terrorism. We are willing to work with the international community to help Afghanistan develop alternative crops and eliminate regional drug problems.
The Global Security Initiative creates a favorable atmosphere for the international community to converge on assistance to Afghanistan. China upholds a concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security. We believe that only security based on morality and correct ideas can be firm and enduring. Guided by such security, justice, and historical concepts, we assist Afghanistan in addressing hegemony and interference by external forces.
We speak up for the Afghan people in the international community, enhancing international and regional coordination on Afghan-related issues. Through the coordination and cooperation mechanism with Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, we extensively gather consensus among Afghanistan’s neighbors, promote communication and coordination among regional countries on Afghan-related matters, and drive Afghanistan’s development together. On multiple occasions in multilateral forums such as the United Nations, we have urged the United States and its allies to immediately and comprehensively lift unilateral sanctions on Afghanistan and unconditionally return Afghan assets to compensate for the harm caused to the Afghan people by the war. We have also pushed for the resumption of the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral cooperation mechanism, deepening trilateral neighborly friendship, political mutual trust, and security and counter-terrorism cooperation.
As a friendly neighbor connected by mountains and rivers to Afghanistan, China will always adhere to the clear action orientation of the Global Security Initiative in deepening practical cooperation in various fields with Afghanistan. We will consistently uphold the principles of mutual respect, openness, inclusiveness, multilateralism, mutual benefit, and overall consideration. We are willing to work with Afghanistan through bilateral and relevant multilateral cooperation mechanisms, implement the three major initiatives, share development opportunities, jointly tackle security challenges, and promote civilization progress, thus setting an example of cooperation between neighboring countries and on hotspot issues.
