Opinion

In a world engulfed by war, China is holding out for peace

The many conflicts around the world could be seen as a new, albeit fragmented, world war in a period marked by political instability, increased military spending and a decline in trust in traditional conflict resolution mechanisms

China does not want to be the global cop, but is committed to peace

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Wang Wen is a professor and executive dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China.

Published: 5:30am, 24 Feb 2024Updated: 9:26am, 24 Feb 2024

A new world war is under way. For those living in developed countries, where gruesome battles remain mere headlines, it may not feel like the Earth is burning, but in 2022, according to the Peace Peace Research Institute Oslo, there were 137 conflicts around the world, resulting in over 224,800 deaths. The statistics for 2023 will no doubt be more chilling.

In 2022, a quarter of the Earth’s population, about 2 billion people, lived in areas directly impacted by military conflict. Battles and clashes between militaries, militias and zealots have put more people in danger than at any time since World War II.

While the first and second world wars featured large-scale battles throughout Eurasia, the current new world war is fragmented, but nonetheless global. Conflicts around the world now last between eight and 11 years.

These apparently unconnected conflicts have led to humanitarian disasters in all corners of the world, drawing in massive amounts of aid. In 2022, some 110 million people were displaced by war, persecution, violence and discrimination, far exceeding the 60 million people who were displaced during World War II.