H.E. Ambassador Fei Shengchao issued an article titled “Global Security Initiative - China's Latest Contribution to Peace and Development in a Changing World” on Somali National News Agency. Both English and Somali versions were published. 

Global Security Initiative-China's Latest Contribution to Peace and Development in a Changing World

What’s happened to the world? Will the future be safer or more turbulent? At present, the COVID-19 is still raging around the world while conflicts have broken out in Ukraine. Traditional and non-traditional security threats are surfacing one after another, posing daunting challenges to overall peace and development. At this critical time for world peace and development, President Xi Jinping made a keynote speech entitled “Rising to Challenges and Building a Bright Future Through Cooperation” at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022, and proposed for the first time the Global Security Initiative (GSI). This important Initiative gives clear answers to questions of our times such as what security concept the world needs and how countries can achieve common security, which opens an important new way for global security governance.

The GSI is underpinned by “six commitments”, namely, staying committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security; staying committed to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries; staying committed to abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter; staying committed to taking seriously the legitimate security concerns of all countries; staying committed to peacefully resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation; and staying committed to maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains. This major Initiative was proposed to meet the pressing need of the international community to maintain world peace and prevent conflicts and wars, the common aspirations of all countries to uphold multilateralism and international solidarity, and the shared desire of all peoples for working together to overcome difficulties and build a better world beyond the pandemic.

The GSI takes root in New China’s independent foreign policy of peace and the practices of this policy. Inspired by the diplomatic tradition and wisdom with unique Chinese characteristics, the GSI is a positive Chinese contribution to upholding global peace and security. China consistently pursues peaceful development, and has the best peace and security record among the major countries. China is committed to its international responsibilities, and it always advocates respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. China was the first founding member of the United Nations to sign the UN Charter, and it firmly upholds the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. China also works with the international community to jointly address all forms of non-traditional security challenges, making its contribution with Chinese wisdom and solutions. China firmly stands on the side of peaceful dialogue, equity and justice, and actively explores solutions with Chinese characteristics to hot-spot issues. On the Middle East, Afghanistan, Iranian nuclear and Korean Peninsula nuclear issues, China has taken the initiative to promote international coordination and provide humanitarian assistance. It encourages and helps various parties to seek common ground while reserving differences, in a bid to eventually settle disputes. On Ukraine, China takes an objective and fair stance on the issue’s own merits. It categorically rejects attempts by any force to fan the flames. It vigorously facilitates talks for peace. And it actively works to help deescalate the situation and save civilian lives. China encourages all parties to the conflict to build mutual trust, resolve disputes and promote security through dialogue, which has won the endorsement and support of many nations in the world.

China and Somalia have a profound traditional friendship and have always respected and supported each other in bilateral and multilateral contexts, including jointly responding to various traditional and non-traditional security threats. Somalia is now confronted with a grave humanitarian crisis, and in a critical transition period to independently assume its national security responsibilities. All this would require extensive and sustained support from all parties. Since last year, China has successively provided humanitarian supplies worth RMB 25.1 million yuan, 700,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, and military vehicles and equipment worth RMB 30 million yuan including high mobility field ambulances, refuellers, water wagons, and metal mine detectors, etc. In order to help Somalia cope with the natural disasters caused by climate change, China has provided food aid to Somalia on various occasions. It is stepping up efforts to raise a new batch of emergency food aid to help Somalia in drought response. China and Somalia trust and support each other, and maintain close exchanges and cooperation on security issues in various multilateral fora, such as the United Nations and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). China and Somalia will further strengthen pragmatic cooperation in the field of peace and security, implement the outcomes of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of FOCAC, including the peace and security program, and achieve the goal of “Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa” to help regional countries in addressing security, development and governance challenges. We believe the proposal of the Global Security Initiative will provide a macro thinking of top-level design as well as methods and pathways for addressing practical issues in all these endeavors.

The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century with complex and severe contradictions. The COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis are a stark warning to all that harm to one means harm to all in an interconnected and interdependent world. Only a peaceful and stable environment can help countries focus on developing the economy, increasing jobs, improving people's livelihood, and cooperating with each other to address global challenges of all kinds. Peace and stability does not come out of thin air, nor can it be doled out by any country. We have to make it happen the hard way by keeping our feet on the ground and working hand in hand. We should not only pool wisdom and find ways together, but also act together on what we say.

China is willing to work with Somalia and other countries to fully implement the major propositions and policy goals of GSI, including jointly upholding the authority and stature of the UN, adhering to the general direction of promoting talks for peace, taking a holistic approach to traditional and non-traditional security threats, and striking a balance between development and security. We shall join our forces to build a more peaceful, secure and prosperous world, and build a community with a shared future for mankind.