By Xinhua
Beijing : A scholar with the China Foundation for International and Strategic Studies (CFISS) has called for the early establishment of a multilateral security mechanism featuring cooperation basis in East Asia.
Relations between regional powers still fluctuate, and it is imperative to promote the regional multilateral security mechanism, said Zhang Tuosheng, director of the Department of Research of CFISS.
He made this call during a dialogue among the defence scholars of China and the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Wednesday.
He said security framework in East Asia has gone through major changes after the end of the Cold War, including the extensive existence of bilateral security or military dialogues between major powers in the region and the development of the multilateral forums and dialogues.
However, on the other hand, relations between regional powers still fluctuate and bilateral military alliances still exist, he said.
Zhang noted that there is still a very long way to go for East Asia to set up a uniform regional multilateral security mechanism on the basis of security through cooperation.
“In order to maintain lasting peace, security and stability in the region, the major powers must develop a more cooperative, stable and relatively balanced relations,” he said.
He said the role of bilateral and multilateral dialogue, the Asean Regional Forum (ARF), Six-party talks and 10+3 (Asean plus China, the Republic of Korea and Japan) in particular, must further develop and gain strength.
Zhang noted that to set up an effective regional multilateral security mechanism is both a challenge and an opportunity for all East Asian countries, calling on China and the Asean to seize the opportunity and overcome the challenge so that their security cooperation can be constantly strengthened and developed.
More than 20 scholars specializing in defence and security participated in the three-day dialogue, which focused on how to promote military modernization and security confidence building in the region.