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International security cooperation
is playing an increasingly important role in maintaining world and regional
peace and stability. The Chi-nese government pays great attention to and
actively participates in international security cooperation, and advocates
the development of international security cooperation on the basis of
the UN Charter, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and other
universally recog-nized norms of international relations.
Regional Security Cooperation
Conducting dialogue and cooperation with Asia-Pacific countries is an
important content of China’s policy concerning Asia-Pacific security,
and a component part of its policy of good-neighborliness and friend-ship.
China persists in building a good-neighborly relationship and partnership
with its neighbors and strengthens regional cooperation constantly. Over
the past two years, China has worked hard to boost the formation and development
of the Shanghai Cooperation Organi-zation (SCO), and continued to support
and participate in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Conference on Interaction
and Confi-dence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Council on Security
Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region (CSCAP), Northeast Asia Cooperation
Dialogue (NEACD) and other activities for multilateral security dialogue
and cooperation, thus playing a positive role in deepening regional security
cooperation with Asian characteristics.
In June 2001, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
founded the SCO. This organization is a regional multilat-eral cooperation
body established on the basis of the “Shanghai Five.” Since
its founding, it has signed and published in succession the Shang-hai
Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism, the
joint communiqué of the defense ministers, the statement of the
prime ministers, the statement of leaders of the law-enforcement and security
departments, and the joint statement of the foreign ministers. At the
SCO St. Petersburg Summit held in June 2002, the heads of state of the
six countries signed three important legal and political documents —
the Charter of the SCO, the Agreement on a Regional Anti-Terrorist
Agency and the Declaration of the Heads of State of the SCO Member
Countries. The SCO has initiated a new security con-cept, a new pattern
for regional cooperation, and state-to-state relations of a new type,
strengthened trust and cooperation in the military field, beefed up substantive
cooperation in the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism,
and reached a consensus on mu-tual assistance in preventing and peacefully
solving international conflicts. The SCO propagates the “Shanghai
Spirit” that features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation,
respect for diverse civilizations and seeking common development, and
actively promotes the establishment of a fair and rational new international
political and economic order, thus advancing regional security and stability.
China endorses the CICA aim and principle of strengthening trust and
cooperation and safeguarding regional security, and has developed con-structive
and friendly cooperation with all its member countries. In June 2002,
the first CICA summit meeting passed the Alma-Ata Document and
the Declaration on Eliminating Terrorism and Promot-ing Dialogue Among
Civilizations. The CICA has scored important achievements in its
activities.
China supports the ARF in its continuous advance toward its set goal.
China has consistently taken an active part in the ARF foreign minis-ters’
meetings, senior officials’ meetings and unofficial meetings. China
has undertaken the project of the ARF ocean information web-site and formally
opened it to service; attended the ARF experts’ group meeting on
confidence-building measures against transnational crimes; submitted a
country report on the question of transnational crimes; and regularly
submitted annual security prospect reports to the ARF. At the Eighth ARF
Foreign Ministers’ Conference, held in 2001, China de-clared its
readiness to support the ARF’s efforts to gradually develop dialogue
and cooperation in non-traditional security fields, and reiter-ated its
proposal on reporting on, and sending personnel to observe, multilateral
joint military exercises. In May 2002, China submitted to the ARF Senior
Officials’ Conference the Document Concerning China’s
Stand in Strengthening Cooperation in Non-Traditional Secu-rity Fields.
At the Ninth ARF Foreign Ministers’ Conference, held in July 2002,
China submitted the Document Concerning China’s Stand in Regard
to the New Security Concept, emphasizing the need to jointly cultivate
a new security concept, enhance trust through dia-logue, and promote security
through cooperation. The Joint Declara-tion of ASEAN and China on
Cooperation in the Field of Non-Traditional Security Issues released
in November 2002, initiated full cooperation between ASEAN and China in
the field of non-traditional security issues. In September 2002, China
held the ARF seminar on military logistics outsourcing support in Beijing.
Cooperation between ASEAN and China, Japan and the Republic of Korea
(10+3) is an important channel for East Asian leaders to ex-change views
on strengthening cooperation in the region, and is conducive to enhancing
mutual understanding, trust and mutually beneficial cooperation among
East Asian countries. China values and actively participates in this cooperation.
It advocates that it should be expanded into all-directional cooperation
on the existing basis, that dialogue and cooperation in the political
and security fields be gradually developed on the principles of achieving
unity through consultation and making steady advance, and that this cooperation
be started with cooperation in the non-traditional fields of security.
Af-ter more than four years’ development, this cooperation has made
marked progress.
The Chinese armed forces have participated in security dialogue and cooperation
in the Asia-Pacific region. In January 2002, Chinese offi-cers observed
the naval mine clearance exercise sponsored by Singapore in the West Pacific
region. In April 2002, Chinese officers observed the submarine search
and rescue exercise sponsored by Ja-pan in the West Pacific region. In
May 2002, China sent officers to observe the “Cobra Gold”
joint military exercises staged by the United States, Thailand and Singapore.
China intends to selectively and gradually participate in more multilateral
joint military exercises in the non-traditional fields of security in
the future.
Anti-Terrorism Cooperation
In recent years, terrorist activities have notably increased, and constitute
a real threat to world peace and development. The “September 11”
terrorist attack, which caused a great loss of lives and property, has
aroused the universal concern of the international community. China, too,
is a victim of terrorism. The “East Turkistan” terrorist forces
are a serious threat to the security of the lives and property of the
people of all China’s ethnic groups, as well as to the country’s
social stabil-ity. On September 11, 2002, the UN Security Council, in
response to a common demand from China, the United States, Afghanistan
and Kyrgyzstan, formally included the “East Turkistan Islamic Move-ment”
on its list of terrorist organizations. The Chinese government has always
resolutely opposed and condemned all forms of terrorism, and has actively
adopted effective measures to fight against terrorist activities.
The Chinese government is of the view that the international commu-nity
should strengthen dialogue and consultation and develop cooperation, join
hands in preventing and fighting against interna-tional terrorist activities,
and make efforts to eradicate the root cause of terrorism. The fight against
terrorism requires conclusive evidence, clear targets and conformity with
the purpose and principles of the UN Charter, and the universally acknowledged
norms of international laws. In this regard, the leading role of the UN
and its Security Council should be brought into full play, and all actions
taken should be con-ducive to the long-term interest of preserving regional
and world peace. Terrorism should not be confused with a specific nation
or re-ligion, neither should dual standards be adopted in the fight against
terrorism. The international community should make common efforts to resolutely
condemn and attack terrorism whenever and wherever it occurs, whoever
it is directed against and in whatever form it appears. In fighting terrorism,
it is necessary to address both its symptoms and root cause, and adopt
comprehensive measures, especially in solving the question of development,
narrowing the North-South gap, and ending regional conflicts.
China supports and has conscientiously implemented a series of reso-lutions
on the anti-terrorism issue passed by the United Nations and its Security
Council, and has submitted to the Security Council Anti-Terrorism Commission
a report on the implementation of Se-curity Council Resolution No. 1373.
China has acceded to the International Convention on Stopping Terrorist
Explosions, and signed the International Convention on Severing
Financial Aid to Terrorism. China has acceded to 10 and signed another
one of the 12 international anti-terrorism conventions. China has also
held anti-terrorism consul-tations respectively with the USA, Russia,
UK, France, Pakistan and India, and has taken an active part in the work
of the Security Council Anti-Terrorism Commission. China actively helped
the Shanghai Conference of APEC Leaders in bringing about the anti-terrorism
statement, motivated the heads of government, defense ministers, lead-ers
of law-enforcement and security departments, and foreign ministers of
the SCO member nations in issuing a common statement, and ac-tively supported
the SCO in establishing a permanent regional anti-terrorist organization.
China and Kyrgyzstan conducted a joint anti-terrorism military exercise
in October 2002. China pays great attention to international anti-terrorist
cooperation in the financial field. Although China is not a member of
the ad hoc working group for combating the financial action of money laundering,
it consistently supports the group’s work. China has given the group
a full introduc-tion of its measures for anti-terrorism in the financial
field.
Participation in UN Peace-keeping Operations
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has al-ways valued
and supported the UN in its efforts to play a positive role in safeguarding
international peace and security under the guidance of the purpose and
principles of the UN Charter. China adopts an active attitude toward the
reform of peace-keeping operations, and hopes that further efforts will
be made to strengthen the role of the UN in peace-keeping operations and
to make these operations more efficient. China supports the active measures
taken by the UN Secretariat in this regard, and welcomes the progress
made by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council in deliberating
the Prasmy’s Report on Re-forming the UN’s Peace-keeping
Operations.
Since its first dispatch of military observers to the UN peacekeeping
activities in 1990, the PLA of China has successively taken part in 10
UN peace-keeping operations. So far it has sent more than 650 mili-tary
observers, liaison officers, advisors or staff officers and 800 (in two
batches) engineering officers and men to the UN peacekeeping operations.
At present, 53 Chinese military observers are still serving in 6 regions,
and 2 staff officers working in the UN peacekeeping de-partment. Four
Chinese servicemen have laid down their lives, and dozens have been wounded
in UN peace-keeping operations.
After its first dispatch of 15 policemen to UN peace-keeping opera-tions
in January 2000, the Chinese government has sent in succession 198 civilian
policemen to serve with UNTAET and UNMIBH.
In May 1997, the Chinese government decided, in principle, to take part
in the UN’s stand-by arrangements for its peace-keeping opera-tions.
In January 2002, China formally participated in the Class-A stand-by arrangements
mechanism for the UN peace-keeping opera-tions, and it is ready to provide
the UN peace-keeping operations with engineering, medical, transportation
and other logistical support teams at appropriate times. China is able
to provide these operations with 1 UN standard engineering battalion,
1 UN standard medical team and 2 UN standard transportation companies.
Military Exchanges and Cooperation
The PLA has actively conducted military exchanges and cooperation with
other countries. The areas of its external contacts are being gradually
expanded, with the content of the contacts increasingly richer and forms
more flexible and diversified.
China has established military relations with more than 100 countries,
and over 100 military attaché’s offices in Chinese embassies
abroad. Meanwhile, more than 70 countries have set up military attaché’s
of-fices in China. Over the past two years, the PLA has carried out over
130 important exchange projects, sent high-level delegations to over 60
countries, and hosted over 90 important military leaders’ delega-tions
from some 60 countries. From May to September 2002, Chinese naval ships
undertook their first round-the-world navigation, visiting 10 countries,
covering a total of over 30,000 nautical miles. The PLA’s foreign
military academic exchanges and technical cooperation have also constantly
developed in breadth and depth. It has conducted ex-change visits of more
than 100 delegations or groups of military experts with several dozen
countries, and the scale of exchanges of military students has expanded
step by step. Between October and November 2001, China held the Third
Symposium on International Issues at the National Defense University,
with officers from 18 coun-tries participating. In October 2002, the Fourth
Symposium was held at the National Defense University, with officers from
31 countries participating.
China actively promotes military relations with countries around the
world. The relations between the armed forces of China and Russia, under
the guidance of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Good Neighborliness, Friendship
and Cooperation, have been strengthened and developed continuously,
and high-level contacts between the armed forces of the two sides have
maintained their momentum. In September 2001, the special meeting of the
China-US Military Maritime Consultation Agreement was held in Guam, which
led to the thawing of the once suspended Sino-US military relations. In
October 2002, it was agreed between the heads of state of both countries
that the military ex-changes should be resumed. Sino-Japanese military
ties were resumed at the end of 2001. Meanwhile, China-EU military relations
have de-veloped smoothly. Chinese military delegations at various levels
have made successful military visits on invitation to many countries in
Northeast, Southeast, South and Central Asia regions. China’s fron-tier
commands have exchanged visits with their counterparts in neighboring
countries. China continues to provide a number of devel-oping countries
with aid in personnel training, equipment, logistical materials and medical
care, and will seek to widen the scope of con-tacts in the future. It
has also intensified its efforts for contacts with West Asian and African
countries, and sustained military contacts with Latin American countries.
The PLA has repeatedly sent personnel to attend the multilateral secu-rity
conferences in the Asia-Pacific region, the Asia-Pacific Region Defense
Authority Officials Forum, the NEACD, the ARF, the West Pacific Naval
Forum, and other activities for multilateral security. The PLA has also
held security consultations and meetings with the de-fense or other military
departments of countries such as Australia, France, Germany, India, Japan,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, UK and USA, thereby
enhancing mutual trust and understanding with them.
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