China's proposal of building a community of human destinies and enhancing global security governance aroused positive response from all parties at the just-concluded 54th Munich Security Conference (MSC). However, some countries voiced the "China Threat Theory" and felt that China's rise is destroying the postwar international order. Behind these clichés of discrediting China is arrogant hegemonic thinking.
In today's world, security challenges are getting increasingly complicated while global security governance lags seriously behind. Situations including “one country dominates”, "several countries rule together" or "making allies and enemies" no longer suit current economic globalization and integration.
China's development and progress accord with the world development trends and China is committed to becoming a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of the international order.
Even as protectionism is on the rise and anti-globalization surges, China steadily advocates economic globalization for more open, inclusive, balanced and win-win outcomes.
As unilateralism affects international security, China firmly pursues a multilateralism standpoint, and advocates and implements a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept that emphasizes lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.
China honors what it says when it comes to coping with the common challenges of climate change, regional conflicts and poverty. The report released by the MSC pointed out that while the US has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement, China has launched an "ambitious carbon trading plan."
From active participation in UN peacekeeping operations to large-scale investment in African infrastructure and the Belt and Road Initiative, China has taken concrete actions to contribute its wisdom and strength to the world’s peace, security, development and prosperity.
A member of the Defense Committee of the German Bundestag said that China is not "reinventing itself" in safeguarding world security. Instead, it is deeply integrating into the international system and becoming the "stabilizer" of the international system.
At present, some countries have a deepened sense of crisis, have lost their direction and lack a sense of security. China will play an active role in the international arena to make greater contributions to mankind. However, this contribution has been and will be made in a way that is within its power and in line with its own philosophy.
China's peaceful development provides a new choice for countries and nations that hope to accelerate their development and maintain their independence. However, this does not mean that China should impose its own mode of development on others.
China is taking a new path of peaceful development and win-win cooperation, not the old road of hegemony and zero-sum game. Promoting a new type of international relations and construction of a community of shared future for mankind are both China's expectations for the future world and the inevitable demands of China's domestic development. Such advocacy is in line with the trend of our times and will eventually win more support and recognition.
However, some countries, either out of fear of losing influence or to intentionally create crises, have misinterpreted China's efforts to maintain world peace and international order and promote sustainable and inclusive growth in the world economy as the strategic threats subverting the existing international order. Such logic is contradictory and unconvincing.
For those countries, it is better to conduct self-examination and reform instead of voicing the "China Threat".
In the face of endless global crises and challenges, all parties can only maintain common security and achieve lasting peace and common prosperity by joining hands, discarding zero-sum thinking and understanding the fate of mankind profoundly.
