This article**[People**].
Original title: Only by establishing a correct security concept can we solve the security dilemma (International Forum).
The Munich Security Conference is known as the "Davos in the field of defense" and has a great influence in Europe and even the world. The annual report and agenda items released by the MUAN reflect the security perceptions and concerns of the West. At this year's meeting, I felt that Europe felt deeply insecure due to the prolongation of regional conflicts, the intertwining of internal and external crises, and the disorderly governance of security, and I am worried that if we continue to adhere to the zero-sum mentality, international security will fall into a "lose-lose" or even "lose-lose" dilemma.
For some time now, the international community has been facing a growing security deficit. The root cause of this is that some Western powers have long proceeded from the consideration of seeking their own so-called absolute security, established and expanded an exclusive security mechanism, constantly created confrontation in the field of international security, and caused serious damage to the international security pattern. The price paid by the pursuit of absolute security by individual Western powers and NATO is the general insecurity of the international community. To get out of the security dilemma, we must abandon the old mentality of bloc confrontation and beggar-thy-neighbor. Only by adhering to the principle that the world is for the common good, sharing security and welfare, and adhering to the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, can we achieve lasting peace and security in the world.
The concept of security that only cares about one's own selfish interests is reflected in the issue of security order, which is to cling to "Western-centrism." At present, advocating an equal and orderly multipolar world and establishing a more just and rational international order are the common aspirations of the vast majority of members of the international community. However, some Western powers are unwilling to abandon "Western-centrism" and have vigorously suppressed the efforts of other countries and regions to seek independence and control their own destiny, instigated regional conflicts and confrontations, and distorted the international security order. In order to effectively resolve the problem of the intensifying international and regional security dilemma, it is necessary to abandon all forms of "Western-centrism," earnestly respect the legitimate security concerns of all countries, and establish an equal and mutually beneficial security order.
The pursuit of absolute security and the clinging to "Western-centrism" have led some Western powers to regard military confrontation as the main means of dealing with security issues. At this year's MUAN, in the discussion of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, some people in the West still blindly consider the problem from the perspective of military victory or defeat, and seeking political and diplomatic ways to resolve the crisis is not in the consideration of these people. History and reality have shown that military confrontation is not the right path to achieve lasting peace and universal security. Only by establishing the correct concept of seeking security through cooperation and increasing investment in diplomatic mediation can we effectively avoid the deepening of hostility and the escalation of conflicts, and can we create conditions for the restoration of peace and the rebuilding of regional security and order.
Another security dilemma facing the world today is the serious imbalance between the domestic and foreign policies of some Western countries and their security goals. Pan-securitization is the evil consequence of the intensification of pan-politicization tendencies in the current domestic and foreign policies of relevant countries, which will not only devour resources for maintaining economic development and social stability, but also project an irrational and unjust narrow view of security onto many fields such as the economy, science and technology, and climate change. While there are security risks in these areas, dialogue, exchanges, and cooperation are more in line with the actual needs of all countries. "Decoupling and chain breaking" and "de-risking" will only promote disorderly competition and open confrontation, and weaken the conditions for the international community to obtain sustainable security.
Judging from the theme and agenda of this year's MUAN, Europe is trying to reflect on the causes of the current security dilemma, but judging from the process and results of the discussions, it is still difficult to break through the limitations of its thinking. On major issues such as changes in the international situation and the transformation of the security pattern, there is still a certain market in the West for forces that are ignorant of the general trend and cling to their shortcomings. In order to rebuild European security, it is necessary for people of insight in Europe to make further rational thinking on the concept of security and the issue of security order.
The author is a professor at the Institute for Advanced Study of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing University of Foreign Chinese and vice president of the China Society for European Studies