Asian security model for regional peace

At a time when the world is undergoing unprecedented changes, Asia has emerged as a hub for global cooperation and development despite growing challenges.

Over the past 40 years, Asia has maintained overall peace and stability, which enabled rapid economic and social progress in the region. Countries in the region have managed to control disputes and avoid large-scale armed confrontations. Thus, Asia's security model can play a supportive role in maintaining peaceful development in the region.

The core reason for such peaceful development is the Asian wisdom in handling inter-state relations in the region, which was proposed as an "Asia security model" at China's first central conference on work related to neighboring countries in April 2025. The model aligns with the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the new security concept, the Asian security concept, and the Global Security Initiative, and has been safeguarding regional peace and development.

In the Asian security model, sharing weal and woe transcends the traditional zero-sum geopolitics mentality. China has integrated security guarantees with development cooperation — which means it has integrated its proposal for high-quality Belt and Road Initiative cooperation with regional security frameworks — to build a comprehensive regional security and development community.

Seeking common ground while shelving differences is another important feature of the Asian security model. This principle emphasizes tolerance and mutual respect for different civilizations. The Chinese civilization values peace, harmony, fairness, and impartial treatment. This is also in tune with the goals and principles of the United Nations Charter. Asian countries widely recognize the contributions of Eastern wisdom to manage state-to-state relations.

Besides, the Asian security model prioritizes dialogue and consultation, rejecting power politics and unilateralism. That is how Asian countries have established a model for peacefully resolving disputes. ASEAN plays a core role in regional dialogue, consultation and cooperation under the "10+1" and"10+3"frameworks. China and ASEAN advocated dialogue and consultation in the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea 20 years ago, and in the negotiation for South China Sea Code of Conduct in recent years. Peaceful dialogues have proved to be effective in maintaining regional peace and stability.

However, as the global economic and strategic focus shifts to the Asia-Pacific region, Asia's peaceful development faces challenges.

Some countries cling to an outdated Cold War mentality, seeking global dominance through enhancing military alliances in the Asia-Pacific, forming exclusive groups, pushing NATO to step into Asia and expanding military exercises around China. The attempts to create divisions and force Asian countries to take sides, thereby building an anti-China containment ring, has undermined the ASEAN-centered regional cooperation framework, exacerbated regional tensions, and harmed the long-term interests of regional countries.

In recent years, ideological approaches did not alienate ASEAN countries. However, the high tariffs slapped on ASEAN countries have increased economic pressure, attempting to force them to side with anti-China forces, which is a threat to ASEAN's key role in maintaining regional peace and development.

Asian countries are at a crucial stage of development, requiring a peaceful and stable security environment. They do not want conflicts or chaos, and have stressed to resolve disputes through dialogue and consultation. Only by uniting and cooperating to oppose division and confrontation in Asia can regional security and people's welfare be maintained. Only a stable Asia can provide certainty and stability to a turbulent world.

The Asia security model aligns with the common interests of Asian countries. It supports the vision of peaceful, prosperous, beautiful and friendly homes in Asia, promotes the building of a community with a shared future, and provides a practical path for maintaining Asia's stability and prosperity.

China and ASEAN are comprehensive strategic partners and each other's largest trading partners. The China-ASEAN relationship is a successful, fruitful, and vibrant example of regional cooperation. China and ASEAN have entered new stages of development. China continues to prioritize neighborhood diplomacy, placing ASEAN in a prominent position. The two partners have upheld the United Nations-centered international system and expanded practical cooperation.

China firmly supports the ASEAN-centered regional security cooperation, opposes the so-called Indo-Pacific strategy to split the region, rejects an Asia-Pacific version of NATO, and opposes taking sides, group confrontation, and a new Cold War. China insists on resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation and achieving win-win cooperation. The country is determined to play a responsible international role.

In this endeavor, China will continue to be a builder of regional peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order. It will work with regional countries to forge a new path of security based on dialogue rather than confrontation, partnership rather than alliance, and win-win cooperation rather than zero-sum games, to jointly maintain Asia's peaceful development.

Zhang Chi and Yang Yang are associate professors at PLA National Defense University.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.