A new world war is underway. It may not feel like the earth is on fire for people living in developed countries where brutal fighting is just a headline, but according to the Oslo Peace Research Institute, there were 137 conflicts in 2022. In the world, resulting in over 224,800 deaths. The statistics for 2023 will no doubt be even more chilling.
In 2022, a quarter of the world’s population, approximately 2 billion people, lived in areas directly affected by military conflict. Fighting and clashes between armies, militias and fanatics are putting more people at risk than ever since the end of World War II.
While World Wars I and II involved large-scale battles fought across Eurasia, the current New World War is fragmented but still global. Conflicts around the world have been going on for eight to 11 years now.
These seemingly unrelated conflicts are causing humanitarian disasters and attracting huge amounts of aid around the world. In 2022, approximately 110 million people will be displaced by war, persecution, violence and discrimination, far more than the 60 million who were displaced during World War II.
More than 5.9 million people are seeking refugee protection in Europe. Russia and Ukraine conflict.of civil war in sudan The disaster, which occurred last year, forced more than 10 million people from their homes. There have been seven military coups in African countries in the past three years.
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Premature babies evacuated from al-Shifa after Israeli forces seize Gaza’s biggest hospital
Premature babies evacuated from al-Shifa after Israeli forces seize Gaza’s biggest hospital
Political instability in countries such as Venezuela and Ecuador is leading to further armed conflict. The security situation in the Asia-Pacific region is also severe.of Korean Peninsulanorthern Myanmar and Philippines It is a potential conflict hotspot.
The rise of local military power has become a new variable affecting world peace. In 2020, the International Committee of the Red Cross identified 614 non-state armed groups of “concern” for humanitarian operations, with approximately 60 million to 80 million people living under the control of these groups.
These groups are highly flexible and can spark international conflicts in unexpected places. Becoming a proxy for a great power gives it ready access to high-tech weaponry, making resolving regional conflicts even more difficult.
Traditional dispute resolution mechanisms are at risk of complete failure, and international multilateral governance mechanisms such as the United Nations and the United Nations are at risk of complete failure. G20, no longer has the authority or ability to bring about peace. In the past decade, no war has ended through international mediation concluded with a comprehensive peace agreement.
The lopsided post-Cold War world order has created an international diplomatic environment characterized by an extreme lack of trust. Some countries believe that the solution to this turmoil is to abandon a liberal, institutionalized path characterized by unyielding high principles and return to the more pragmatic path of realpolitik. .
France’s military spending increased by 7.5% from the previous year to $49.7 billion in 2024. Japan plans to spend $55.9 billion, an increase of 16.5%. Russia’s military spending is expected to rise 68% to $115 billion.Reportedly, in 2023 China will Allocate USD 224 billion The proportion of military personnel increased by 7.2% from the previous year.
Military weapons have also undergone major changes, including: artificial intelligence. This undoubtedly strengthens the ability of powerful countries to start, participate in, and finance wars. Poor citizens drafted into the military have little chance of surviving in the face of the new generation of military precision. AI guided weapon .
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North Korea claims to test nuclear-capable underwater attack drone
North Korea claims to test nuclear-capable underwater attack drone
Many Chinese scholars once expected the United States to play a leading role in developing true international peace. However, the influence of US global leadership is waning.The United States become increasingly partisan In regional conflicts, even if it means inflicting more pain on your own side.
Frequent conflicts around the world are hindering the development of emerging countries and are an obstacle to the rise of China. From China’s perspective, the United States appears to be trying to protect its hegemony. True global leaders should be conflict mediators, not troublemakers.
China is always ready to help mediate disputes, but is reluctant to become the world’s judge or world policeman, despite sending 2,000 UN peacekeepers to various conflicts. It is true. We are extremely alert to the conflicts in Russia and Ukraine, Palestine and Israel, India and Pakistan, and northern Myanmar, and the potential military risks associated with them. Taiwan And that South China Sea. China has strong self-defense capabilities, true unity out of the country as soon as possible.
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China does not want to be drawn into war, as its peaceful track record over the past 40 years has shown. For the Chinese people, being their best selves is China’s greatest contribution to world peace.
It will likely be difficult for the West to show favoritism to China as it navigates frictions and differences with some of its 20 neighbors.If it is triggered and its red line Even beyond borders, China will not hesitate to protect its sovereignty. But isn’t that the first rule of every self-respecting nation?
But China has long patiently restrained its urge for military action, wisely negotiating various contradictions. China faces many temptations to war, and although it may be drawn into war, it also hopes to quell it peacefully, and is working hard to reduce the possibility of a new world war.
Wang Wen is a professor and director of the Chongyang Institute of Finance, Renmin University of China.