Cold War mentality seen as threat to world order

A senior Chinese diplomat said on Monday that the Cold War mentality remains the biggest threat to peace and stability in the world.

"Certain countries, driven by the Cold War mentality, have continuously instigated competition and confrontation among major countries, strengthened their military blocs and deliberately provoked and aggravated disagreements," Li Song, China's ambassador for disarmament affairs, said at the First Committee of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

"Such policies have been seriously undermining mutual trust among major countries, endangering global strategic balance and stability, and impeding the international arms control and disarmament process.

"As an indivisible community, we must face squarely and give clear answers to the questions of our times, such as what security concept the world needs and how countries can achieve common security."

Win-win mindset needed

Li said the China-proposed Global Security Initiative seeks to promote the establishment of a balanced, effective and sustainable security structure; advocates a win-win mindset to address complex and intertwined security challenges; and champions the spirit of solidarity to adapt to the evolving international landscape.

The initiative offers China's solution to eliminating the root causes of international conflicts and achieving durable stability and lasting security in the world.

"Mutual trust and collaboration among major countries is the cornerstone for ensuring international security and stability," Li emphasized.

"Nuclear-weapon states must abandon concepts of strategic competition and bloc confrontation, halt any pursuit of exclusive or absolute security, and stop putting their own security above that of others. We should dedicate ourselves to dialogue and cooperation, so as to rebuild strategic mutual trust."

In January, leaders of the five nuclear-weapon states issued a joint statement stressing that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, and reaffirming that none of their nuclear weapons were targeted at each other or any other state.

"This historic statement is of great and far-reaching significance to preventing nuclear war and avoiding arms races. The five nuclear-weapon states should further strengthen communication and collaboration, and jointly uphold global strategic balance and stability," Li said.

The world has witnessed diminishing mutual trust and growing conflict among countries. That is because the UN Charter has been impaired by the so-called rules-based international order.

"The 'house rules' established by a certain country or bloc of countries must not replace the UN Charter. All UN member states should practice real multilateralism and firmly defend the international system with the UN at its core," Li said.