Integrating Asia

By Ma Miaomiao

Sarez Lake in central Tajikistan is a potential powder keg. It was formed due to an earthquake in the Pamir Mountains in 1911， which also created a natural dam， the Usoi Dam. Since the lake holds more than 17 billion cubic meters of water， there are fears that if another quake hits the area， the dam will burst and the homes of millions of people in Tajikistan and neighboring countries will be fl ooded.

In August 2017， the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and two Tajik organizations， the Committee on Emergency Situations and Civil Defense and the Tajik Academy of Sciences， together made a fi eld inspection of the lake， which resulted in a three-dimensional model of it that would help draw up emergency measures.

Kadam Maskaev， deputy head of the Tajik emergency agencys Usoi unit， told Chinese media that thanks to Chinese cooperation， his team obtained detailed data on the geography and hydrology of the area， which is essential for making contingency plans.

Tajikistan has seen civil war and natural disasters， and now development is its greatest priority. Cooperation with China in the fi eld of natural disaster prevention and relief will have a positive impact on regional security， Maskaev said.

This is one example of security cooperation within the framework of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia （CICA）， which was fi rst proposed by then Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 1992. “After decades of development， the pan-Asian multilateral mechanism has evolved into Asias most extensive， inclusive and representative security dialogue and cooperation mechanism with the greatest number of participants，”Shi Yongming， a researcher on international studies， told Beijing Review.

Common challenges

The Fifth CICA Summit held in Dushanbe， Tajikistan， on June 15 was attended by leaders or representatives of the 26 member countries， as well as representatives of observer states and international and regional organizations.

At the summit， Chinese President Xi called for mutual respect and trust among countries in response to the recent resurgence of a Cold War mentality and hegemonic bullying in the world， and stressed the need to build a secure and stable Asia in the face of various traditional and nontraditional threats.

Xis proposal represents a broad consensus on the future development trend in Asia and provides both philosophical and directional guidance for regional cooperation. The resurgence of the so-called clash of civilizations means countries have to be open and inclusive. Problems should be resolved through cooperation and creativity so as to ensure sustainable development， according to Shi.

Xi also called for joint efforts by all Asian countries to fully utilize their respective advantages and counter the problems created by the rapidly changing international circumstances.

The joint declaration at the conclusion of the CICA Summit said in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent globalized world， Asian countries share common interests in building a sustainable environment conducive to peace and security. CICA members are ready to seek common， comprehensive， cooperative and sustainable security and promote development and progress based on the common understanding reached so far.

The member countries also reaffi rmed their commitment to multilateralism with the United Nations at its core， and to maintain and promote peace and stability， pursuing peaceful settlement of disputes without threats or the use of force in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.

Asia， though one of the most dynamic regions in the world， is also facing increasing common challenges including insufficient political mutual trust， imbalanced economic development， and security and governance issues. There is still a long way to go to realize long-lasting peace and shared prosperity.

According to Gao Fei， a professor with China Foreign Affairs University， CICA has committed itself to settling these security problems by promoting trust among member states. It has played an irreplaceable role in promoting security， stability， economic development and common prosperity of Asian countries， Gao said.

Chinas role

Observers said CICAs achievements are inseparable from Chinas role. The political mutual trust built between China and other countries within Asia and the aspiration for common development have brought them even closer.

As the largest trading partner and an important source of investment for most Asian countries， China has contributed more than 50 percent to Asias economic growth. It has been a good neighbor and beneficial partner and a firm promoter of equal dialogue， consultation and cooperation among members of the Asian family， Shi said.

Gao said China has played an important role in advancing the CICA process and institution-building， and in formulating and implementing confidence-building measures in various fi elds. China has helped set up a series of CICA platforms to promote intergovernmental and non-governmental cooperation and exchanges， including the CICA ministerial meeting， non-governmental forum and think tank forum.

At the 2014 CICA Shanghai Summit， Xi put forward a new vision of common， comprehensive， cooperative and sustainable security， and proposed a new security and development path that fits the common interests of member countries.

China has paid attention to the security and development of the entire Asian region. The Asian security concept proposed by Xi fi ve years ago advocates equal participation among countries on regional security affairs and equal responsibility for upholding security. This shows Chinas role in safeguarding regional security and development through the multilateral system， Gao added.

At the Dushanbe Summit， Xi said China will follow a road of peaceful development， continue opening up to share its development opportunities with other countries and uphold multilateralism to safeguard the international order based on international laws.

He also said CICA countries should follow up on the commitments made at the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in April， seek greater complementarity between their development strategies， and enhance all-round connectivity to boost high-quality growth of all countries.

According to Shi， the development strategies of the majority of member and observer states of CICA that have joined the Belt and Road Initiative have been gradually integrated， and the cooperation is showing results.

The Belt and Road Initiative and CICA can promote each other. Facing external changes such as mounting unilateralism and protectionism， and internal issues such as cultural differences， uneven development and geographical barriers， Asian countries should take the initiative as a chance to boost economic cooperation and achieve connectivity. It would， in turn， help grow mutual trust among them， Shi said.