Eliminating new security threats, as a task
encountered by all countries, requires the international community
to strengthen security dialogue and cooperation, said experts at a
symposium in Beijing on Wednesday.
Helmut Kohl, the former chancellor of Germany, said
that many nations face security threats from economic and financial
crisis, infectious diseases, terrorism, famine and environmental
pollution.
"No one country can solve these issues on its own,
therefore it is necessary for us to conduct international
cooperation to cope with nontraditional security challenges," Kohl
said, praising China's efforts in taking an active part in it.
The Ministry of Public Security has established
relations with 116 countries' police departments, dispatched police
liaison officers to 14 countries, joined over 60 international and
multilateral organizations, and sent 530 civil police to
participate in UN peacekeeping missions.
China is also involved in non-traditional security
cooperation mechanisms involving the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, South
Korea and Japan.
Xiong Guangkai, chairman of the China Institute for
International Strategic Studies (CIISS), said that although quite a
lot progress has been achieved in issues such as counter-terrorism,
epidemic diseases, disaster prevention and relief and fighting
transnational crime, these complex issues can not be solved in a
short time and still endanger peace and development.
"Faced with various non-traditional security
threats, actions by a single country stand no chance and
international cooperation remains the only powerful and effective
instrument," Xiong said.
Meng Hongwei, public security vice minister, said
countries have common interests and responsibilities in dealing
with nontraditional security issues.
The UN, particularly the Security Council, should
play a leading role in coping with such threats, said Meng, but all
countries should make joint efforts to build a stable and secure
international environment, in line with the spirit of mutual trust,
mutual benefit, equality and cooperation, as well as basic
principles of international law and relations.
The two day-long symposium is cosponsored by the
CIISS and the Hotung Institute for International Relations, and is
attended by 60 officials, experts and scholars from 17 countries in
Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania.
(Xinhua News Agency June 23, 2005)