New Outlook on Security Featuring Mutual Trust and Reciprocity, Based on Equality and Cooperation

Generally speaking, the “new outlook on security” is also called the “non-traditional security concept”, which is different from the “old security concept” or the “traditional security concept” that has emerged in the international community since the 1980s, especially after the Cold War.

In March 1997, China formally proposed the new security concept at the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting. The core of the concept is: mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination. It was against the backdrop of the changes in the international security situation after the Cold War. With the end of the bipolar confrontation, the rapid development of economic globalization, the popularization of information technology and the establishment of new relationships based on coordination among major powers, the security issues facing China and the world also changed. Major threats to world peace included not only local wars and conflicts, regional hotspot issues and the North-South gap in the traditional sense, but also international terrorism, ethnic separatism, religious extremism, environmental pollution, drug smuggling, transnational crime, serious infectious diseases, etc. They became problems confronting all countries in the world. These problems called for new ideas and strategies from the international community. The formation of China’s new security concept was also closely related to the new security concept emerging in the world. At the end of the 1970s, some politicians and scholars in the Western European countries advocated that security was not limited to military affairs, but also involved non-military issues that threaten mankind.

Therefore, the UN Disarmament and International Security (DISEC) committee called for the transformation from the “military-based security concept” to a broader one, thereby putting forward the concept of “common security”, which could be achieved through international coordination, demilitarization, disarmament etc.

After the Cold War, the United Nations actively advocated a shift from the narrowly defined concept of international security to an “all-inclusive security concept”. In 1991, the UN Commission on Global Governance put forward the concept of “the security of people” and “the security of the planet” in the report entitled “Our Global Neighborhood”. In 1994, the United Nations Development Program expounded the concept of “human security” comprehensively and systematically in the “Human Development Report” from seven areas: economic security, food security, health security, environmental security, personal security, community security and political security. After the UN Millennium Summit, the concept of security was linked with development and human rights. It was “people-centered”, including the security of the homeland and that of the people, which could not only be achieved through force but also through development. In the late 1990s, China proposed a new security concept, further developed and perfected the content. On July 31, 2002, the Chinese delegation submitted “China’s Position Paper on the New Security Concept” in the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, explaining the new security concept in a comprehensive and systematic way. On September 6, 2011, the State Council Information Office issued a white paper entitled “China’s Peaceful Development”, which reiterated the new security concept, and pointed out that the purpose was to seek comprehensive security, common security, and cooperative security through mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination.

Mutual trust means that all countries should transcend differences in ideology and social system, discard the mentality of cold war and power politics and refrain from mutual suspicion and hostility. Mutual benefit means that, in order to achieve common security, all countries should comply with the objective requirements of social development in the globalized era, respect each other’s security interests, and create conditions for other country’s security while realizing their own security. Equality means that countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are all members of the international community. They should treat each other as equals, not interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, and promote the democratization of international relations. Developed countries especially should take more responsibility to achieve common security and eliminate conflicts.

Coordination means that countries should settle disputes through peaceful negotiations, often initiate dialogues and notifications on their security and defense policies and major actions, and conduct extensive and in-depth cooperation on security issues of common concern, in order to eliminate hidden dangers and avoid intense conflicts. In short, the new security concept is a comprehensive security concept, a development security concept, a cooperative security concept, and and a common security concept. It is a security model based on the diversity and common interests of the world, which conforms to the wishes of the people, as well as the trend of the times.

China’s new security concept covers both traditional threats and non-traditional threats, and both military security and non-military security. It integrates national security with international security closely, and links the threats facing China with those facing the whole mankind. The concept is new firstly because it transcends the Cold War mentality and abandons the thought of seeking security through confrontation. China advocates the establishment of a cooperative relationship that transcends differences in ideology and social system based on mutual benefit and mutual trust, and tries to seek common interests and resolve conflicts through coordination. The new security concept emphasizes solving problems through equal partnership rather than confrontation, settling disputes through peaceful negotiations, and conducting extensive and in-depth coordination on security issues of common concern. Such coordination can be achieved through many channels, including multilateral security mechanisms, multilateral security dialogues, bilateral security consultations, unofficial security dialogues, etc.

Compared with “peaceful coexistence”, the new security concept has a more institutionalized and standardized form, as well as a clearer definition. Meanwhile, it does not target a specific enemy, nor does it have strict treaty restrictions as an alliance do. There are similarities and differences between the new security concept advocated by China and the one advocated by the United Nations. They similarities lie in two aspects: first, both emphasize the use of non-military means to deal with global threats and comprehensive security issues including traditional and non-traditional ones; second, both emphasize people-centered security. While the differences arise because of the difference in political, cultural and social background.

The concept advocated by the West emphasizes international intervention beyond sovereignty and global governance based on unified values. While China’s new security concept emphasizes the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, opposes interference in the internal affairs of sovereign countries on the pretest of human rights, highlights the equality of all countries, and advocates the pluralism, diversity and democratization of international relations. It transcends differences in ideology and political systems, respects different civilizations, social systems and development paths, and encourages countries to learn from others in competition and seek common development while reserving differences.

China's current defence and foreign policy practice is a concrete demonstration of her new security concept.

Firstly, China consistently pursues a defensive national defense policy, does not engage in any arms race, nor pose a military threat to any country. Secondly, China has always advocated and is committed to the peaceful settlement of international disputes and hotspot issues, and opposes the use of force on the least pretext. Thirdly, China actively promotes coordination in international and regional security and opposes all forms of terrorism. Fourthly, China, having the largest number of peacekeepers among the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, also actively participates in UN peacekeeping operations. Besides, China has been actively joining international organizations and international treaties, earnestly fulfilling its obligations, and working hard to maintain the core position of the United Nations and the authority of the Security Council.

China’s new security concept reflects its efforts on and contributions to finding a security concept suitable for the new era and maintaining world peace.