Zhong Sheng
To exploring new ideas for security governance in the Middle East is of vital practical significance in today’s world. It calls on each party to jointly discuss solutions to hotspot issues, negotiate on security cooperation plans, and seek for strategies of stable development.
Security in the Middle East under the New Situation: Challenges and Prospects, which was the theme of the Middle East Security Forum (MESF) recently held in Beijing, poses an important question that the world needs to contemplate on under the increasingly complicated security situation in the region.
The constantly emerging hotspot issues in the Middle East have trapped multiple countries in chaos. The development of endogenous contradictions in the region, such as geographical, ethnical, sectarian, and national governance takes partial responsibility for the predicament. However, external forces cannot escape the blame for their irresponsible wrongdoing in the region, either.
The Palestine-Israel issue has been deviating from the “two-state solution” with sharper contradictions and disputes. As a country that has an important influence on the Middle East, the US has injected huge instabilities into the complicated situation of the region with its selfish and unilateral Middle East policies.
The country even said publicly that the US administration does not consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank a violation of international law, which has triggered protests of the Palestinians and strong dissatisfaction of Arabic countries.
Former Prime Minister of Iraq Ayad Allawi noted at the MESF that the biased stance taken by the US has contained the Palestine-Israel peace process, calling it a root cause for regional security tensions.
In the name of “peace”, the US is making private profits during the Middle East peace process and pushing the region toward tension and conflicts, said United Arab Emirates (UAE) newspaper Al Khaleej.
Besides, Palestinian media called on the international society to uphold justice, with a premise to respect and guarantee the interests of the people in the region.
Under the new security situation in the Middle East, each party is working to find new mechanisms to promote peace. However, it’s undisputed that any mechanism with such purpose should not deviate from the principle of equity and justice.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a recent congratulatory message to the United Nation (UN) -organized the Observance of the “International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People” that “The international community should safeguard fairness and justice, and uphold relevant UN resolutions as well as the land-for-peace principle and the two-state solution, so as to create an atmosphere conducive to the resumption of Palestine-Israel peace talks.” Such firm support for the Palestine-Israel peace represents international justice.
China supports to bring the Iranian nuclear issue back to the track of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) without delay, and opposes the act of reversing the course of history through exerting unilateral extreme pressure. It showcases the sense of responsibility of a major country.
Chinese solutions have earned trust and been welcomed by each party for the adherence to justice, emphasis on long-term development and focus on addressing both the symptoms and root causes.
China rejects the idea of absolute security at the cost of others and the zero-sum or self-supremacist mentality. Instead, it holds that the world must together pursue common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security.
China seeks to guarantee the security of all countries – not only military security, but also political and social stability. Besides, the country proposes to realize security through political dialogues and multilateral cooperation, and emphasizes development during security process in which development serves as support for security and enhances the sustainability of security.
China is never partial to any party, or seeks the so-called absolute security of its own at the cost of the security of other countries. It is a constant attitude of the country, one that will never follow the beaten path to seek hegemony as it gets stronger.
Jawad Anani, former deputy prime minister of Jordan believes that China is able to play an important role in solving the security issues of the Middle East and pushing for permanent peace of the region.
To make contribution to global peace and development is a due responsibility of all members of the international community. China has always firmly supported the positive efforts made by countries and people in the Middle East to safeguard equity and justice, and protect regional peace and stability.
The country has worked actively to promote peace through talks, making constructive proposals on multiple hotspot regional issues, such as the Syria issue, Palestine-Israel conflict and Libya issue.
During this year’s UN General Assembly, China put forward three proposals on the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region for which it received sincere welcome from relevant parties.
China has sent over 1,800 UN peacekeepers to the Middle East, and a total of 5 Special Envoys of the Chinese Government on the Middle East Issue have been working for the security of the region since the first appointment was declared in 2002.
UAE newspaper Al-Ittihad commented that China attaches high importance on the peace, security and stability of the Middle East, and works to enhance dialogues and consultation among each party under the premise of not interfering in their domestic affairs, and makes efforts to resolve disputes through peaceful manners and improve the livelihood of the people there.
World peace won’t come until the Middle East is secure. To lift people in the Middle East out of wars and miseries will bring welfare to the world. Each party should make joint efforts to establish constructive platforms to offer new ideas and explore new methods in the governance of the region.
Facts have proved again and again that only by supporting multilateralism, opposing unilateral acts, building consensus, taking care of each other’s concerns and promoting inclusiveness can wrong approaches be stopped, crisis be resolved and stable and long-term development be achieved.
(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)
中东安全治理需要多边主义
钟声
“新形势下的中东安全：挑战与出路”，日前在北京举行的中东安全论坛的这个主题，正是当前中东安全形势更趋复杂形势下，值得人们深入思考的问题。探寻中东安全治理新思路，共商热点解决之道，共议安全合作之计，共谋稳定发展之策，具有非常重要的现实意义。
中东地区热点问题此起彼伏，多国深陷动荡，难以走出安全困境。地缘、民族、教派、国家治理等地区内生性矛盾的演化发展固然是一方面原因，但在种种动乱背后，外部势力不负责任的推波助澜，也是不争的事实。一段时间以来，巴以问题出现偏离“两国方案”的危险势头，矛盾分歧愈演愈烈。美国作为对中东地区有重要影响力的国家，其自私自利、单边至上的中东政策，给本已错综复杂的中东局势又注入了大量的不稳定因素。美方甚至公然表示，不再认为以色列位于约旦河西岸的犹太人定居点“不符合国际法”，引发巴勒斯坦民众抗议和阿拉伯国家强烈不满。
伊拉克前总理阿拉维直言，正是美方采取偏袒的立场，才使得巴以和平进程裹足不前，成为地区安全局势紧张的根源。阿联酋《海湾报》刊文指出：“美国以‘和平’的名义，在中东和平进程中拉偏架、谋私利，将地区推向紧张和冲突的一边。”巴勒斯坦媒体呼吁：“我们需要国际社会主持公道，前提是尊重保障地区人民的利益。”
面临新的中东安全形势，各方都在探寻新的促和机制。但毫无疑问，任何促和机制都不应偏离公平正义的主基调。“国际社会应该维护公平正义，坚持联合国有关决议、‘土地换和平’原则和‘两国方案’大方向，为恢复巴以和谈创造良好氛围。”中国对巴以和平的坚定支持，就是国际正义力量的体现。在伊核问题上，中国主张推动尽快回归全面协议轨道，反对通过单边极限施压“开历史的倒车”的做法，这是负责任大国的担当。
因为坚守公平正义、着眼长远、标本兼治，中国方案赢得各方信赖和欢迎。呼吁在中东摒弃独享安全、绝对安全的想法，不搞你输我赢、唯我独尊，打造共同、综合、合作、可持续的安全架构；主张保障所有国家安全，不仅寻求军事安全，也要实现政局稳定、社会安宁；强调通过政治对话、多边合作来实现安全，要安全和发展并重，通过发展为安全提供支撑，使安全更具有可持续性……中国方案不搞拉一派打一派的把戏，不以牺牲别国安全来谋求自身所谓绝对安全，这是不走“国强必霸”老路的中国面向世界的一贯态度。约旦前副首相贾瓦德·阿纳尼认为，中国能在解决中东安全问题、推动实现中东地区永久和平的进程中发挥更大作用。
为世界和平与发展事业作贡献，这是国际社会成员应有的追求。中国始终坚定支持中东国家和人民，为捍卫公平正义、维护地区和平稳定作出积极贡献。中国积极劝和促谈，在叙利亚、巴以、利比亚等地区热点问题上多次提出建设性主张。在今年联合国大会期间，中方关于海湾局势的“三点倡议”，受到有关各方的真诚欢迎。中国向中东派驻了1800多名联合国维和士兵。自2002年中国设立中东问题特使以来，5任特使为中东的安全辛勤工作，积极奔走。阿联酋《联邦报》报道评价道，中国高度重视中东的和平、安全与稳定，在不干涉中东各国内政的前提下加强各方之间的对话、磋商，努力促进和平解决争端，改善中东人民生活。
中东不安全，世界难太平。让中东地区人民告别战乱与苦难，意味着世界之福。各方理当共同努力，在中东安全治理领域打开新思路、探索新方式提供有益平台。正如事实所反复证明的，唯有坚持多边主义，坚定反对单边行径，充分凝聚共识，照顾彼此关切，倡导包容和解，方能纠偏止错、化危为机、行稳致远。
