BERLIN, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- The "lose-lose" rhetoric of the MUAN report reflects Europe's anxiety.
Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Chao.
The organizers of the Munich Security Conference (Munich Security Conference) released the "Munich Security Report 2024" in Berlin, Germany on the 12th, setting the agenda direction for the upcoming 60th Munich Security Conference to be held from 16 to 18. The report argues that post-Cold War optimism about peace, stability and economic development has dissipated, and the world is at risk of falling into a "lose-lose" situation.
Analysts pointed out that the report gives a "diagnosis" but few "prescriptions", and the "lose-lose" risk mentioned reflects the anxiety of some European countries in recent years after the impact on their security and economic interests, and this situation is largely due to the policy stance of some Western countries themselves. At present, global challenges are increasing, and all countries in the world cannot stand alone, and win-win cooperation is the right way.
The "lose-lose" argument shows anxiety.
Founded in 1963 as a platform for dialogue between the Federal Republic of Germany and the United States and other NATO members, this long-standing Western-staged security forum is often referred to as a "transatlantic family gathering". However, the outbreak of geopolitical conflicts such as the Ukraine crisis and their spillover effects have caused unease in some European countries in recent years, and the theme of the past few meetings has been somewhat pessimistic.
In the foreword to the report, Christoph Hoysgen, chairman of the Munich Security Conference, said that "lose-lose" has become the "unofficial motto" of this year's Munich Security Conference and that it is necessary to avoid falling into a more "lose-lose" situation due to a broken order.
Amid heightened geopolitical tensions and rising economic uncertainty, many countries are no longer focused on the overall benefits of global cooperation, but are increasingly concerned about their relative benefits being less than others, the report said. The resulting "lose-lose" trend has emerged in many areas and has swept across all regions.
In the case of the Ukraine crisis, the report argues that the crisis has undermined the region's vision of a cooperative security order, with the consequence that Europe as a whole will not be able to continue to enjoy the peace dividends and will have to spend more money on its own defense and aid to Ukraine.
Sun Chenghao, an assistant researcher at the Center for Strategic and Security Studies at Tsinghua University, pointed out that the so-called "lose-lose" situation is reflected in the escalation of geopolitical crises such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the return of the great power game. However, this situation is largely due to the European and American countries themselves, such as the so-called "de-risking" policies that exaggerate the competition between major powers.
The Global South is "valued".
Only by keeping pace with the times can we keep up with development. In a recent interview, Hoysgen said it was important to increase the proportion of participants from the Global South and expand the conversation beyond the transatlantic countries.
At last year's meeting, many leaders from the Global South called for a more equitable and mutually beneficial international order. In a panel discussion, in response to European Council President Charles Michel's view that tackling global challenges requires greater solidarity and more international cooperation, Ghanaian Akufo-Addo bluntly said: "When it comes to unity, we have experienced the impact of the coronavirus crisis and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but we do not see unity from the West. Africa is a forgotten continent and we can only save ourselves. ”
In this year's report, the concept of the Global South is mentioned repeatedly. The report mentions that the world economy will come at a significant cost, especially if it increases the burden on low-income countries. For many countries in the Global South, especially in Africa, the peace dividend has never been realized. From their point of view, the West's emphasis on the so-called "defense of the rules-based order" is hypocritical and aimed at maintaining Western dominance.
Xiao Qian, deputy director of the Center for Strategic and Security Studies at Tsinghua University, said that since last year, the MUAN's attention to countries in the Global South has increased significantly, and one of the important reasons is that Western countries recognize that there are few countries in the Global South that support the Western position on the Ukraine issue, so Western countries are consciously influencing and winning over countries in the Global South. Some of the statements in this year's report appear to be a voice for the "Global South", but in essence, they do not break out of the traditional clique mentality of the West.
Win-win cooperation is the right way.
The report acknowledges that some countries adhere to a zero-sum mentality and one-sidedly emphasize relative returns, resulting in a "lose-lose" dilemma for the world. Mark Leonard, director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, has previously written that the problem with a Western-led zero-sum approach is that it could make it more difficult to solve pressing global problems.
As for how to get out of the current predicament, the report suggests that transatlantic partners and "like-minded countries" invest in defense and deterrence while selectively pursuing mutual benefit with "politically like-minded countries."
Xiao Qian pointed out that on the one hand, the report reflects that some Westerners understand that zero-sum thinking cannot deal with global challenges, and on the other hand, it distinguishes "like-minded countries" from other countries, which not only want to achieve global problem solving, but can only selectively cooperate, reflecting the contradictions and entanglements of the West.
In the community of nations, China has always practiced true multilateralism and promoted the establishment of a new type of international relations centered on win-win cooperation. Sun Chenghao said that in recent years, China has proposed to build a community with a shared future for mankind, and the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative have all contributed ideas and solutions to address global challenges.
In the view of Ikram Haq, a member of the advisory committee of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, China adheres to a philosophical idea of "peace-building" in contrast to the West's "zero-sum game" mentality of "you win and I lose." "China is working hard to promote sustainable peace and prosperity for the international community on the basis of cooperative development. (Participating reporters: Li Jizhi, Zhang Zhang, Nie Xiaoyang, Liu Pinran) (end).