In a world engulfed by war, China is holding out for peace
- The many conflicts around the world could be seen as a new, albeit fragmented, world war in a period marked by political instability, increased military spending and a decline in trust in traditional conflict resolution mechanisms
- China does not want to be the global cop, but is committed to peace
In 2022, a quarter of the Earth’s population, about 2 billion people, lived in areas directly impacted by military conflict. Battles and clashes between militaries, militias and zealots have put more people in danger than at any time since World War II.
While the first and second world wars featured large-scale battles throughout Eurasia, the current new world war is fragmented, but nonetheless global. Conflicts around the world now last between eight and 11 years.
These apparently unconnected conflicts have led to humanitarian disasters in all corners of the world, drawing in massive amounts of aid. In 2022, some 110 million people were displaced by war, persecution, violence and discrimination, far exceeding the 60 million people who were displaced during World War II.
The rise of localised military forces has become a new variable affecting global peace. In 2020, the International Committee of the Red Cross identified 614 non-state armed groups “of concern” to its humanitarian operations, with about 60 to 80 million people living under the control of these groups.
These groups are highly flexible and can trigger international disputes in unexpected places. If they become a proxy for major powers, they can quickly obtain hi-tech weapons, making the resolution of regional conflicts more challenging.
The lopsided post-Cold-War world order has created an international diplomatic environment that features an extreme lack of trust. Some countries see a solution to this disorder in abandoning the liberal institutionalised route characterised by unbending, high-minded principles, and returning to the more pragmatic path of realpolitik.
The multitude of conflicts globally interferes with the development of emerging economies, and are creating roadblocks to China’s rise. From China’s perspective, the US seems to be trying to protect its hegemony. A true global leader should be a conflict coordinator, not a troublemaker.
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China does not want to get involved in war, as its peaceful record over the past 40 years shows. For the Chinese people, being its best self is China’s greatest contribution to world peace.
However, for a long time, China has been patiently suppressing the impulse to take military action, while wisely negotiating various contradictions. Although China faces many temptations to go to war and may be forced into it, it also hopes to be a peaceful damper, working hard to alleviate the new world war.
Wang Wen is professor and executive dean at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China