Positive thinking - 2024-09-12
Global South's security perspective focuses on domestic resilience serving as the foundation for regional security, which in turn underpins international security
A key shift is becoming evident in the international security landscape — the rise of the Global South's security perspective. The 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum has showcased a significant development: numerous emerging and developing countries, often referred to as the Global South, sent high-level delegations to participate. Additionally, security issues were highlighted in various bilateral and multilateral documents issued during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit. Similarly, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit emphasized a new security concept embodied by the "Shanghai Spirit".
The evolution and enrichment of this security perspective are poised to steer global security thinking, historically dominated by the West, toward a more balanced approach that better represents the broader international community. Ultimately, this shift will contribute to a more stable and positive trajectory for international security.
At its core, the Global South's security perspective is rooted in "endogenous security". These countries share a history of colonialism and continue to face political, racial, and religious challenges, many of which stem from the "divide and rule" strategies employed by the former colonizers. Furthermore, underdeveloped economic and social conditions exacerbate these issues, making the process of national unity and social development fraught with difficulties.
For the Global South, the solution to security challenges lies in achieving political stability and economic development to build domestic resilience. In contrast, NATO's collective defense model, based on military deterrence and the prevention of external threats, represents an "exogenous" approach shaped by centuries of state-building through wars in Europe. However, such military alliances, focused on external deterrence, offer little practical value when addressing challenges such as ethnic reconciliation, food security in Africa, or the climate threats faced by island nations.
While Global South nations may face security issues such as territorial and resource disputes, these must be addressed through dialogue and negotiation among the countries concerned. In this context, external intervention and reliance on military alliances only tend to escalate conflicts and diminish regional "net security". These disputes often have colonial roots rather than being created by these countries themselves. Thus, regional security should primarily be the responsibility of regional nations, not external powers. Political solutions are the way forward, not military deterrence or alliances.
This principle is reflected in the Beijing Declaration from the recent FOCAC summit, which emphasized "African solutions to African problems", Similarly, a joint statement from China and South Africa called on the international community to support regional organizations such as the African Union in solving African security challenges autonomously. These statements do not reject external assistance, but rather highlight the importance of local ownership. External actors, therefore, should align with the needs of regional countries, providing political mediation, financial support, and capacity building, such as helping African nations develop independent anti-terrorism capabilities.
History has repeatedly shown that the military strikes, economic sanctions, and deterrence strategies of external powers do little to resolve security issues in Africa and often have counterproductive effects. The ultimate goal of regional security governance in the Global South is to build security resilience, a process that begins with domestic stability and is reinforced by strong regional security frameworks.
The Global South's security perspective is not driven by anti-Western sentiment but represents a rational alternative that shares some positive aspects of Western security thinking while rejecting its more detrimental tendencies. For instance, the concept of "cooperative security", advocated by many Global South nations, has its roots in the 1975 Helsinki Accords, which laid the groundwork for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The OSCE emerged from a period of deep reflection on the negative consequences of excessive military deterrence during the Cold War. Unfortunately, following the end of the Cold War, the dominance of military deterrence overshadowed cooperative security thinking in Europe, as evidenced by NATO's expansion and the marginalization of the OSCE.
In contrast, in Asia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has been a regional leader in promoting cooperative security, laying the foundation for forums such as the ASEAN Regional Forum. More recently, China introduced the Global Security Initiative, advocating for a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture to achieve common security. This evolution of Asia's security thinking highlights its emphasis on cooperative security, a principle that the Global South upholds. Conversely, Europe's current security crisis stems from an overwhelming reliance on military deterrence, overshadowing the cooperative security principles once central to European thought. In this context, discussions about "NATO's eastward expansion into Asia" merit serious reflection. NATO's security framework has little resonance in Asia's regional context, historically and practically. Therefore, Europe could benefit from learning from the Global South's security models to reinvigorate its cooperative security approach.
In conclusion, the Global South's security perspective is characterized by two key principles: the inseparability of domestic security and development, and the interconnectedness of regional security interests. Domestic resilience serves as the foundation for regional security, which in turn underpins international security. As we enter a new era of international relations, the world needs new security paradigms, and the contributions of the Global South's security perspective are indispensable. As emphasized by China's Global Security Initiative, inclusivity will be crucial. The Global South's security perspective will continue to evolve through mutual learning and cooperation, ultimately contributing to the creation of a new era of international security.
The author is Zhang Yun, an associate professor of international relations at Niigata University in Japan and a nonresident senior fellow at the Center on Contemporary China and the World at the University of Hong Kong.
Source: China Daily
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