Not inconsistent with security needs

Chu Yin, an associate professor at the University of Interna-tional Relations, and a research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization / CHINA DAILY

The security risks embedded in the promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative cannot and should not be ignored. The continuing unrest in some economies along the two routes, and the rise of regional terrorism and sectarian clashes, to some extent, have hampered the initiative's overseas operations, and even halted some projects. Key regions where major players like Russia and Ukraine, for example, are in dispute, can pose a challenge to the regional integration pursued by the Belt and Road Initiative.

The initiative's pursuit of shared economic prosperity hinges on an overall secure environment, which calls for China to better protect Chinese citizens and assets in the economies along the Belt and Road routes, even though China's pursuit is to recalibrate the global security order by cooperating with other countries, instead of seeking hegemony.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a case in point, with China's security cooperation with ASEAN members being another. Security mechanisms like these are based on mutual respect and are becoming a cornerstone of regional stability and global peace. For Beijing, securing the operation of the Belt and Road projects is not inconsistent with its cautious approach to security cooperation; instead, it is part of the efforts to provide public goods needed by other participants.