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| CICA Logo (Image: Wiki Commons) |
By Shannon Tiezzi
Xi sees CICA as the basis for a new regional security architecture for Asia, replacing the current alliance system.
In his keynote speech at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), Xi called for the creation of a “new regional security cooperation architecture.” He proposed that CICA become “a security dialogue and cooperation platform” for all of Asia, from which countries can explore the possibility of creating a regional security framework. He further indicated that China would take a leading role in exploring the creation of a “code of conduct for regional security and [an] Asian security partnership program.”
In promoting China’s vision for a new regional security framework, Xi took specific aim at the basis for the current status quo: military alliances. Xi tied such alliances to “the outdated thinking of [the] Cold War.” “We cannot just have security for one or a few countries while leaving the rest insecure,” Xi said. “A military alliance which is targeted at a third party is not conducive to common regional security.” Xi in turn offered an alternative vision for Asia, one based on an all-inclusive regional security framework rather than individual alliances with external actors like the United States.
As part of this rhetoric, Xi called for Asian problems to “be solved by Asians themselves.” China has used this formulation before to imply that the U.S. has no role in mediating disputes. Xi expanded on this in separate remarks after the conference, where he reiterated that Asian nations are capable of solving their own security issues without extra-regional interference. He called for Asian countries to “completely abandon” old security concepts, presumably including the alliance system currently maintained by the U.S.
Read the full story at The Diplomat