Chinese envoy warns of dangers of new Cold War

A damaged building is in demolition process in Mariupol, Ukraine, Aug. 23, 2022. (Photo by Victor/Xinhua)

"We should never allow the world to slide into a new Cold War," said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday warned of the dangers of a new Cold War and stressed the importance of safeguarding global strategic stability.

"The Ukraine crisis and a series of recent tense developments around the world show that ... we must be highly vigilant against any deliberate attempts to provoke troubles and intensify division and confrontation, and we must safeguard global strategic stability," said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

"We should never allow the world to slide into a new Cold War," he told a UN Security Council meeting on the Ukraine conflict.

Facts have proved that the Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation must be firmly rejected, he said.

Over 30 years after the end of the Cold War, NATO kept expanding eastward, which has not made Europe any safer, but sowed the seed of conflict. All humanity lives in an indivisible security community, and common security is in the utmost common interests of all countries. Security of one country should not come at the expense of that of another country, and regional security cannot be realized by beefing up military blocs, he said.

Today in the 21st century, the Cold War mentality and zero-sum game are long-outdated concepts. Obsessing over military forces and seeking absolute security will only lead to constant escalation of tensions, which is not in the interests of any party, he said.

Staff members work at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, March 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

Facts have proved that decoupling and choosing sides must be firmly rejected, said Zhang.

The economies around the world are deeply integrated. Certain countries wantonly imposing unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, politicizing and weaponizing the economy, trade and technology, and insisting on decoupling and building "small yard, high fence" has led to further difficulties in people's livelihoods in developing countries, and threatened global food, energy and finance security, he said.

Developing countries should not be made to bear the brunt of geopolitical conflicts and major-power rivalry. They have the right to independently decide their foreign policies, and should not be forced to choose sides, he said.

Facts have also proved that double standards and selective application of rules must be firmly rejected, he said.

Upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations should not just stop at lip service. All countries should abide by these principles in practice with consistency on different issues involving different countries.

The Chinese people have a deep understanding of and strong feelings about sovereignty and territorial integrity through first-hand experience. China consistently respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries, and is determined to firmly safeguard its own sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.