Xi proposes a “global security initiative”, without going into details

BOAO, China (April 21) (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday proposed a “global security initiative” that upholds the principle of “indivisible security,” a concept that Russia has also endorsed, though he did not provide details of how it would be done. that. outlet.

During a video address to the annual Boao Forum for Asia, Xi said the world should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, while paying attention to the “legitimate” security concerns of all.

“We should adhere to the principle of security indivisibility, build a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture, and oppose building national security on the basis of insecurity in other countries,” Xi told the meeting, which was held on southern China’s Hainan Island.

In talks on Ukraine, Russia insisted that Western governments respect the 1999 agreement based on the principle of “indivisible security” that no country can enhance its security at the expense of others. Read more

China and Russia increasingly grew closer, and China refused to condemn Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow called a “special operation” to disarm the country. China has blamed the Ukraine crisis on NATO’s eastward expansion.

Analysts note that this is the first time that China has advocated “indivisible security” outside the context of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, with implications for US actions in Asia.

“If China considers that the actions of the United States and its allies on Taiwan or the South China Sea ignore its security concerns, it can invoke the concept of ‘indivisible security’ to demand a higher moral basis in retaliation,” said Li Mingjiang, associate professor at New York University. S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

By invoking the concept of “indivisible security,” which originated in Europe, Wang Jiangyu, a law professor at City University of Hong Kong, said China can hope to make its actions to defend its core interests appear more legitimate to other countries. .

Xi also reiterated China’s opposition to unilateral sanctions and “long-term jurisdiction,” without directly referring to the punitive measures taken by the West against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

China has repeatedly criticized Western sanctions, including those against Russia, but has also been careful not to provide assistance to Moscow that could lead to sanctions against Beijing.

Xi said efforts are necessary to stabilize global supply chains, but he also said China’s economy is resilient and its long-term trend has not changed.

Additional reporting by Kevin Yao in Boao and Yu Lun Tian in Beijing. Editing by Shree Navaratnam, Bernard Orr, Simon Cameron Moore and Nick McPhee

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