China’s New Security Concept and the SCO’s Security Practice in the Past 20 Years

This year witnesses the 20th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).Over the past 20 years,China has taken the initiative to foster a stable surrounding environment through this platform.In this process,a new security concept or model has emerged,which is different from that during the Cold War when the great powers were competing for hegemony.Today,as the SCO has entered a new period of development,China’s new security concept will continue to play an important and constructive role in the practice of building a regional security community.

I.The Establishment of the New Security Concept and the SCO

The end of the Cold War has not only triggered a rewriting of the geopolitical map,but also caused the international community to reflect on the traditional security concept and security governance model.In 1996 and 1997,China,Russia,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan signed the Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border Regions and the Treaty on Reduction of Military Forces in Border Regions respectively in Shanghai and Moscow,which laid an important political foundation for establishing the mechanism of “Shanghai Five” and the SCO,thus starting the multilateral regional cooperation in the form of “Shanghai Process”.The SCO was officially established in June of 2001.Soon after that,China submitted China’s Position Paper on the New Security Concept to the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in July,which is the earliest and the most authoritative interpretation of China’s new security concept.This document made a special emphasis that “the SCO is a successful practice of this new security concept.”

At the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting in Beijing in 2002,the foreign ministers of the SCO member states included in the joint statement their common interpretation of the new security concept and the call for a new type of security cooperation,“calling on the international community to foster a new security concept based on the principles of mutual trust,mutual benefit,equality and coordination”.In June the same year,at the St.Petersburg summit of the SCO,the Chinese leader once again expounded the importance and realistic significance of establishing the new security concept,“fostering a new security concept and striving to establish a fair and reasonable new international order is the correct way to solve the two major issues of world peace and development.”This view point was included in the joint statement of this summit,which was the first time for the SCO’s official document to put forward a new concept on security.In May of 2003,at the Moscow summit of the SCO,then Chinese President Hu Jintao reiterated that “China stands for a new security concept,seeking security through mutual trust and promoting cooperation through dialog.” In May of 2014,when delivering a key-note speech to the CICA summit in Shanghai,President Xi Jinping of China pointed out that “we should actively advocate the Asian security concept featuring common,comprehensive,cooperative and sustainable security,innovate the security concept,and build a new framework for regional security cooperation.” This time,the Chinese leader explained the contents of the new security concept article by article,which became the most detailed,systematic and authoritative interpretation of the new security concept since it was put forward.In September the same year,at the SCO summit in Dushanbe,President Xi Jinping proposed,“we should follow the Asian security concept featuring common,comprehensive,cooperative and sustainable security,and work together to meet threats and challenges with collective strength,unity and cooperation.” The improved new security concept was formally written into the Dushanbe Declaration,and“achieving common,comprehensive,cooperative and sustainable security” has become an important consensus of the SCO member states.

II.Practice and Development of the New Security Concept in the SCO

In June of 2018,President Xi Jinping put forward the SCO’s outlook on development,security,cooperation,civilization and global governance at the SCO summit in Qingdao,which is an important interpretation of the “Shanghai Spirit” in the new era.China’s new security concept has been incorporated into the overall thinking that guides the comprehensive consolidation and steady development of the SCO,thus becoming an important part of the SCO in promoting institutional innovation and enhancing its functions in the new era.

First,the SCO’s security practice emphasizes multilateralism featured in the new security concept.Seeking security through multilateral cooperation has always been an important part of China’s independent foreign policy,and China has always been a practitioner of security multilateralism.In September of 2020,when addressing the 75th anniversary summit of the United Nations,President Xi Jinping emphasized,“Unilateralism leads nowhere.We should pursue extensive consultation,joint contribution and shared benefits.All countries should work together to safeguard universal security,share in the fruits of development and hold the destiny of the world in our own hands.”

Second,universal security is emphasized in the SCO’s practice of the new security concept.The new security concept aims at achieving universal security,reflecting the characteristic of the time that security conditions are closely related to security threat factors under the background of a highly developed globalization.Such a feature is generally reflected in security issues from various perspectives and in different categories.At the video conference of the SCO summit in November of 2020,in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the possible social crises in the region,the SCO member states collectively spoke out and made an overall plan to face the diversified and complex threats to regional security.

Third,the SCO is striving to build a regional platform under the guidance of the new security concept for forging a community with a shared future for mankind.In March of 2013,when delivering a speech at the Moscow Institute of International Relations,President Xi Jinping elaborated on the important concept of a community with a shared future for mankind.At the SCO summit in Astana in 2017,to forge a community with a shared future for mankind was officially written into the joint statement of the summit.At the video conference of the SCO summit in November of 2020,President Xi Jinping proposed to build a health community,a security community,a development community and a cultural community in the SCO.

III.The Practical Significance for the SCO to Practice the New Security Concept

In July of 2018,when addressing the BRICS Business Forum in Johannesburg,South Africa,President Xi Jinping pointed out,“the next decade will be crucial for the replacement of the old growth drivers for the world economy”,“a decade in which changes in the international landscape and balance of power will accelerate” and “a decade in which global governance system will be profoundly reshaped”.The development of human society is gaining new impetus,which also means that a new relationship of production is taking shape,and the old international order is facing unprecedented impact.

First,common security remains the basic security guarantee for allSCO member states.Common security means respecting and guaranteeing the security of every country.After the SCO was established,there were security crises in some member states,which had regional impact almost without exception.Under new circumstances,it remains an important concept for all member states to continue to pay attention to common security and strive to build a SCO security community.

Second,the diversity of security elements in the SCO region calls for building a comprehensive security system.Comprehensive security means holistically safeguarding security in both traditional and non-traditional fields.With human society entering into the era of post-industrialization and globalization,security threats to the stability of a country have gone far beyond the basic fields like politics,military and economy,as challenges posed by terrorism,cyber security,food security and public health emergencies are on the rise.To address comprehensive security threats in a coordinated way is not only a major task facing the SCO,but also an important part of global security governance.

Third,the SCO in the new era needs a closer and more effective cooperative security framework.Cooperative security means promoting security for all countries in the region through dialog and coordination.Under the impact of economic globalization,security factors of various kinds flow across countries and regions,and no country can be immune from them.In the future regional security practice,continuing to strengthen political trust among member states will be the key for the SCO to achieve effective cooperative security.

Last,sustainable security is a realistic way to meet the dual aspirations of the SCO member states for stability and development.Sustainable security means emphasizing both development and security for achieving enduring security.The uneven development of globalization has given rise to such national security threats as poverty,refugees and conflicts as well as international environment risks.The basis for ensuring sustainable security is to achieve sustained national stability and economic development.To eradicate poverty,ensure people’s well-being and narrow disparities,we should make security and development mutually reinforcing,which not only is an important condition for the SCO to ensure sustainable security,but also will provide a constructive approach for the international community to overcome the current dilemma in global security governance.

(The author is Guest Professor at School of International Relations,Shanxi University; and Standing Director of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Research Center of China.This article was received on April 13,2021.)