AstheworldteetersonthebrinkofnuclearArmageddon,inthethirddecadeofthe21stcentury,itisworthrememberingthepropheticwarningbythepacifistphysicist,AlbertEinstein.Heisonrecordcautioningfuturegenerationsthat"IknownotwithwhatweaponsWorldWarIIIwillbefought,butWorldWarIVwillbefoughtwithsticksandstones".

BasedontheevidenceofthingsseenandunfoldingintheRussia-Ukraineconflict,quiteclearlythosecountriesandregionalblocsstokingthiswarbyshippinggargantuanarmamentshaveignoredEinstein"swarning.

Thedestructionanddevastationunleashedbythiswarareevident.

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ItisalsoobviousthatthecountriesandregionalblocsinflamingthiswarhavenotlearnedthetragiclessonsfromIraq,AfghanistanandLibya.

Inthisglobalmaelstromofchaosandinsecurity,whathasinformedtheunequivocalpolicystanceofthePeople"sRepublicofChina(PRC)inpursuitofpeaceandsecurity?

AttheBoaoForumforAsiaAnnualConference2022,PresidentXiJinpingelaboratedonthePRC"spolicyandpractice,ininternationalaffairsofaGlobalSecurityInitiative(GSI).

AstheprimaryinitiatorandtheimplementorofGSI,thePRC"sobjectivesaretoadvocatefora"common,comprehensive,cooperativeandsustainablesecurity"architectureto"jointlysafeguardworldpeaceandsecurity".

Whatdoesthismeanandentailinactualpractice?ChinahasbecomethelargestcontributortotheUnitedNations(UN)peacekeepingmissionsamongfivepermanentmembersoftheSecurityCouncil.

TheChina-UNPeaceandDevelopmentFund,initiatedbyChina,hasprovidedatotalof$100millionbytheendof2020,benefitingmorethan100countriesandregions.

Onewonderswhathappenedbetweenthedescription,inhiselectoralcampaign,ofPresidentJoeBidenasaprogressiveand"transformativeleader"andthecurrentactualincumbentoftheWhiteHouse,whohascontinuedthewarmongeringpracticesofhispredecessorsinforexampleIran,Cuba,andYemen.

Therefore,thePRC"sroleinseekingtosecureworldpeaceandsecurityiscommendable,asseeninChina"speacekeepers,mainlydeployedinAfrica.

MostAfricancountriesareamenabletotheGSIsinceitbuildsonthestrategiclargessethatChinademonstratedinthebattleagainsttheCovid-19pandemicandeconomiccrisiswhereChinaprovidedatleast2.1billionvaccinesto120countriesandorganisationstoclosetheglobalimmunitygap.

ThisisaprimeexampleofChina"honouringitscommitmentswithconcreteaction"because,quitesimply,"unevenrecoveryisaggravatinginequalityacrosstheworld,furtherwideningtheNorth-Southdivide".

Inessence,then,theGSIispremisedonthefollowingnormativeprinciplesthatshouldbeofinteresttothosededicatedtothecausefor,andof,pursuingatwhatevercostglobalpeaceandsecurity.

First,thatpeaceisaprerequisiteforhumanandsocietaldevelopment,moresointhecontextoftryingtobuildbackbetteraftertheCovid-19newnormal.Peaceanddevelopmentareinterconnectedindefendingpeople"slivesandlivelihoodsandpromotingcommongoods.

Second,cooperationandsolidarityarenecessarytokeepafloatandstabletrade,industrialandsupplychainsacutelydisruptedbyboththeRussia-UkraineconflictandCovid-19.SuchworldwidesolidarityrunscounterandisintrinsicallyopposedtounilateralismandaColdWar2.0mentality,wherecountriesaredividedbetweenthosewhosupportthecontinuationofwarinRussia-Ukraine(largelywesternliberaldemocracies)andthosefavouringdialogueanddiplomacy(largelynon-westerncountries).

Third,theGSIproposedbyChinaisasensibleoptionsinceexperiencehastaughtusthateachcountrymustrecognisethesovereigntyandterritorialintegrityofothercountriesindeferencetoupholdingtheUNCharter.Whatwillbringaboutpeaceandsecurityareprinciplesandpracticesofmutualrespect,mutualbenefitandmutuallearning.

WedowelltorecallthehumantollpaidafterWorldWarIandWorldWarII,whichresultedin20milliondeathsintheformerand70millioninthelatter.Ofcourse,theearthlytollofanuclearwarwouldresultintotaldevastationofthehumanspecies.

Why,thendotheUSandtheEuropeanUniondedicateintototostokinguptheRussia-Ukrainewarinthefoolhardypursuitof"weakening"RussiaandindirectlyisolatingChina?

ThisisareasonwhytheRepublicofSouthAfricahasselectedapolicyof"non-alignment"inthiswarand,instead,iscampaigning,likeBrazilandIndia(BRICSmembers),inpromotingandemphasizingmultilateralisminsteadofunilateralism,cooperationinsteadofconfrontation,andwin-winoutcomesratherthanazero-sumgame.

ThisstancebytheRSAandthePRCintheiractiveendorsementofGSIechoestosomeextenttheNon-AlignedMovementrepresenting120membercountriesfromtheGlobalSouthwhowereopposedtoColdWar1.0,imperialismandcolonialismthatisbeingechoedpresently,bytheBiden-ledUSandtheEU,whoserecordofdestabilization,warmongering,sanctions,subjectivecondemnationthreatenstheverysurvivalofthehumanspecies.

Thetruismisrelevant:"itisnotinnumbers,butinunity,thatourgreatstrengthlies".

OnehopesthattheleadersinWashington,LondonandBrusselswillheedthistruismtoavoidbeingbulliesandhegemonsbattling,inSisypheanfashion,theinescapablerealityofamultipolarworldwhereeachcountryandregionisrecognizedandrecognizedforwhatitcontributestothestorehouseofcollectivehumancivilization.