What is the overall situation of the world at the moment? To answer the question, one needs to have a clear understanding of the laws of historical development.

Philip Stephens, columnist of Financial Times, said recently: “What these leaders do tell is that the multilateralist model of the second half of the 20th century is more likely to represent a historical interlude than a permanent shift in the nature of relations between states. Globalisation is already in retreat. As the strong men stride the stage, Kant is making way for Hobbes and multilateralism for great power politics. The west is about to relearn what it is like to live in a much rougher world.”

As to international order, Kant believed that human beings would achieve “perpetual peace” while Hobbes described the natural state of mankind as a "warre of every man against every man”. “Kant making way for Hobbes” reflects that some Europeans feel less secure than before. This is also reflected by the recent Munich Security Conference, which focused on the collapse of the international order, the impact of the Ukraine crisis on European security, and the deteriorating situation in the Middle East. 　

Western countries overestimated the impact of the end of the Cold war. The recent Ukraine crisis and the assault on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo are among developments that have reawakened their concerns.

The rhetoric that the international order has collapsed is not the whole truth. In the conference, some expressed deep worries about the East Asia situation. But the fact is that this region is the most dynamic and promising in the world. To understand the current international situation, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the laws of historical development. The current international configuration is complicated, but the world still develops toward bilateralism. There is much conflict, but peace and development are still the theme of the times.

During the conference China reiterated its cooperative and sustainable security concept. It also offered workable suggestions during the discussion of the Ukraine Crisis and the fight against terrorism. In a situation where countries are worried about global conflicts, it is important to attach importance to dialogue and cooperation.

This article was edited and translated from 《用对话与合作纾解压力（钟声）》, source: People's Daily