Photo: IC

The Group of Friends of Neutrality for Peace, Security and Development, which consists of 18 members, was established at the United Nations (UN) with an initiative from Turkmenistan. The Xinhua News Agency reported that many members - including China, Russia and Turkmenistan - on Thursday participated in the ceremony via a video conference. This group aims to advocate a neutral policy, urge countries to strengthen cooperation and coordination under the framework of the UN, commit themselves to peaceful settlement of disputes and promote international peace, security and sustainable development.

Currently, unilateralism, protectionism and bullying have gravely undermined the international order and challenged countries across the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely hit their economies. Against this background, Turkmenistan's initiative to establish such a group is of great significance.

The UN has recognized and supported the permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan since 1995. By initiating the proposal of a neutral group, Turkmenistan may hope to extend its idea of neutrality, and solidify as many as regional countries to engage in cooperation in terms of security and economics. This will be done as a bid to overcome crises and some of the unfair treatment of countries that has been happening at the international level. 

The group aims to achieve regional safety, stability and common prosperity.

China always bolsters initiatives which are committed to safeguarding global and regional peace and stability. Geng Shuang, China's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, delivered an address at the ceremony, saying China is willing to work together with other members of the group to build a community with a shared future for humanity. This will additionally build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.

China adheres to multilateralism, and emphasizes global strategic stability and regional prosperity, and for crises to be settled with open cooperation. China's support of this initiative embodies such a diplomatic philosophy. In the face of a rapidly changing world, China intends to unite with other friendly countries to realize regional stability and increase the well-being of the public in a peaceful way.

Contrary to insisting on neutrality, the US repeatedly interferes in internal affairs of other countries. As a non-regional country, the US constantly meddles with many regional issues, such as the South China Sea. In recent days, it has been working hard to build an anti-China coalition to contain China.

Washington is motivated by the desire to maintain its global hegemony and interests, and implement its "America First" policy. The US' priority is to maintain its own interests, rather than support global and regional peace and stability. Take the South China Sea, for example. If there are any grave conflicts or tensions in the region that arise from US provocations, only countries  in the region will be negatively impacted — not the US. 

In contrast, China has always opposed external countries to meddle with regional issues and internal affairs, believing that regional affairs must be solved by regional members through cooperation and coordination. Only by doing so can regional countries' interests and regional stability and prosperity can be protected to the largest extent.

In comparison with the US, it is evident that China is a responsible power.

Amid tensions between China and the US ramping up, some Western media outlets have repeatedly hyped the idea of an emerging "China-Russia alliance" against the US. During the Cold War, Moscow and Beijing failed to forge a lasting alliance. This historical experience shows there is no need to build an alliance between the two. China and Russia insist on independent diplomacy.

Both countries have common ideas on foreign policy. Beijing and Moscow cooperate on a wide range of strategic domains, such as economics, security and international affairs. Participating in the neutrality group is consistent with their broad cooperation.

Attendance of the bloc also delivers a message to international community that the two will not form an alliance, but to adhere to neutrality.

The hype of some Western countries on China-Russia alliance is groundless. They attempt to sow discord. They are clearly worried that if the two really became allies, it would pose a great threat to them. They also intend to spread the ideas of the "China threat theory" and the "Russia threat theory" among Western countries. This aims to arouse the public's "anti-China" and "anti-Russia" sentiment - and hence meet their political ends. What Russia and China need to do now is live well and carry on their own paths, regardless of what others say as slander.

The author is an associate research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn