SCHEER POST
Today’s joint statement is a historic articulation of the major shift underway from the unipolar world that has existed since the fall of the Soviet Union.
Editors note: Robert Scheer has been studying, visiting, analyzing and reporting on Russia and China for six decades, including deep dives into the two countries’ complex, fraught history as neighboring powers with an often parallel history of peasant revolt, ascendent communist ideology and tension and conflict with the West. In his view, today’s joint statement is an historic, carefully considered articulation of the major shift underway from the de facto unipolar world that has existed since the fall of the Soviet Union and which was the eventual manifestation of post-FDR imperialist US foreign policy through the Cold War. Whatever the reader’s own historical and political framework, understanding the goals and rationales of these powerful nations on this small planet is essential. With President Biden making the provocative, escalating decision to send US troops to Germany and eastern Europe in the midst of tense Ukraine negotiations, and on the eve of a Winter Olympics hosted by China, which is being boycotted by US diplomats, the unchallenged authoritarian leaders of the Russia Federation and the People’s Republic of China met in person and produced the following statement:
Today, the world is going through momentous changes, and humanity is entering a new era of rapid development and profound transformation. It sees the development of such processes and phenomena as multipolarity, economic globalization, the advent of information society, cultural diversity, transformation of the global governance architecture and world order; there is increasing interrelation and interdependence between the States; a trend has emerged towards redistribution of power in the world; and the international community is showing a growing demand for the leadership aiming at peaceful and gradual development. At the same time, as the pandemic of the new coronavirus infection continues, the international and regional security situation is complicating and the number of global challenges and threats is growing from day to day. Some actors representing but the minority on the international scale continue to advocate unilateral approaches to addressing international issues and resort to force; they interfere in the internal affairs of other states, infringing their legitimate rights and interests, and incite contradictions, differences and confrontation, thus hampering the development and progress of mankind, against the opposition from the international community.
The sides call on all States to pursue well-being for all and, with these ends, to build dialogue and mutual trust, strengthen mutual understanding, champion such universal human values as peace, development, equality, justice, democracy and freedom, respect the rights of peoples to independently determine the development paths of their countries and the sovereignty and the security and development interests of States, to protect the United Nations-driven international architecture and the international law-based world order, seek genuine multipolarity with the United Nations and its Security Council playing a central and coordinating role, promote more democratic international relations, and ensure peace, stability and sustainable development across the world.
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