Global security faces severe challenges

The international security situation this year has been as complicated as ever. The rise of unilateralism and protectionism along with nationalism and populism, the resurgence of strong-arm politics, intensified geopolitical competitions, and incessant regional turbulence and conflicts all pose serious challenges to the global security order and rules.

Compared with previous years, the highlight of international security this year is China's warmer relations with neighbors, with the turmoil in the Middle East being the hotspot issue and the Sino-US trade conflict the biggest challenge.

First, the consensus on managing a crisis to avoid a head-on confrontation remains even though the competition between major countries has intensified. The geopolitical competition among major countries has always been an important barometer of the changes in the international landscape. But now the competition has developed new trends.