The following article is by Zhang Chi and Yang Yang, associate professors at the PLA National Defense University. It represents the personal views of the authors.
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 comprehensive peace and stability, which has enabled rapid economic and social progress in the region. Countries in the region have managed to control differences and avoid large-scale armed conflicts. Thus, the Asian security model can play a supporting role in maintaining peaceful development in the region.
The key reason for such peaceful development is the Asian wisdom in handling interstate relations in the region, which was proposed as the “Asian security model” at China’s first central conference on work related to neighboring countries in April 2025. The model is in line with the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the New Concept of Security, the Asian Concept of Security, and the Global Security Initiative, and has ensured regional peace and development.
In the Asian security model, the sharing of positives and negatives goes beyond the traditional zero-sum mentality of geopolitics. China has integrated security guarantees with development cooperation – which means that it has integrated its proposal for high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative with regional security frameworks – to build a comprehensive regional security and development community.
The search for common ground while eliminating differences is another important feature of the Asian security model. This principle emphasizes tolerance and mutual respect for different cultures. Chinese culture values peace, harmony, justice and impartiality. This is also consistent with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. Asian countries widely recognize the contribution of Eastern wisdom to the management of relations between states.
Moreover, the Asian security model prioritizes dialogue and consultation, rejecting power politics and unilateralism. In this way, Asian countries have established a model for the peaceful resolution of differences. ASEAN plays a central role in regional dialogue, consultation and cooperation within the framework of “10+1” and “10+3”. China and ASEAN have supported dialogue and consultation in the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea 20 years ago and in the negotiation of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea in recent years. Peaceful dialogues have proven 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, pursuing global dominance through strengthening military alliances in the Asia-Pacific region, creating exclusive groups, pressuring NATO to enter Asia, and expanding military exercises around China. Efforts to create divisions and force Asian countries to take sides, thereby creating a check ring against China, have undermined the ASEAN-centered regional cooperation framework, exacerbated regional tensions, and harmed the long-term interests of regional countries.
In recent years, ideological approaches have not alienated ASEAN countries. However, the high tariffs imposed on ASEAN countries have increased economic pressure, attempting to force them to side with anti-China forces, which poses a threat to ASEAN’s key role in maintaining regional peace and development.
Asian countries are at a critical stage of development, which requires a peaceful and stable security environment. They do not want conflict or chaos, and have emphasized that they resolve differences through dialogue and consultation. Only by uniting and cooperating to address division and confrontation in Asia can regional security and the prosperity of the people be maintained. Only a stable Asia can provide security and stability in a turbulent world.
The Asian security model is aligned with the common interests of Asian countries. It upholds 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 stability and prosperity in Asia.
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 supported the international system centered on the United Nations and expanded practical cooperation.
China firmly supports regional security cooperation centered on ASEAN, opposes the so-called Indo-Pacific strategy to divide the region, rejects an Asia-Pacific version of NATO, and opposes taking sides, group confrontation, and a new Cold War. China insists on resolving differences 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 international order. It will work with regional countries to forge a new security path based on dialogue rather than conflict, partnership rather than alliance, and win-win cooperation rather than zero-sum games, to jointly maintain the peaceful development of Asia.”
