Unilateralism Goes Against the Willing of the People

*The senior scholar of Pakistan study center of Jiangsu Normal University

Part One：the plan of the new Silk Road and its failure

As we all know, “one belt and one road” is the initiative to the world in 2013 By His Excellency Xi Jinping, China's top leader. Since then, more and more countries have recognized and approved it and expressed their willingness to participate in it. Iran is also one of those countries. “One belt and one road” advocates cooperation and seeks win-win results. Therefore, many countries have been building "one belt and one road" together.

But in fact, as early as 2011, Hillary Clinton, then the secretary of state of the United States, on behalf of the United States, launched the so-called “New Silk Road” plan to the world. According to the vision and arrangement by the United States, the plan is mainly for the reconstruction of Afghanistan. This “New Silk Road” plan will take Afghanistan as the center, connecting its neighboring countries from the south to the north, starting from India, Pakistan in the south, and then passing through Afghanistan to other countries in Central Asia. Because it excluded China and Iran out, the two very important countries on the ancient Silk Road, it was questioned at that time: can it be called the “Silk Road” without the participation of China and Iran?

As China and Iran were not involved in the “New Silk Road” plan, it seemed that there were inherent deficiency from the date of its launch, and it indicated that it would die surely. Sure enough, the plan, which borrowed the name of the Silk Road, almost failed before it began. Now, this seemingly ambitious “New Silk Road” plan has become the laughingstock by the world!

Part Two：The new silk road plan is unilateralism

In November 2001, the United States launched Afghan war rashly, it was caught in the mire in Afghanistan, because the United States could not completely defeat the resistance forces on the battlefield, and could not really win the war. When the war had been going on for 10 years, the United States seemed to realize that it had not or was difficult to win in the war. It was based on this background that the United States launched the “New Silk Road”plan.

Why did the “New Silk Road” fail? There is the certain reason to exclude China and Iran out, but not all of the reasons. The failure of the “New Silk Road”plan is mainly due to the failure of American policy towards Afghanistan, especially the failure of Afghan war by U.S. It wants to get out of the mire in Afghanistan, keeps its military presence in the country, and lets other members of the international community clean up the mess in Afghanistan for U.S.

From the background, motivation, content and final results of the “New Silk Road” plan, it is not difficult to find that it is an unilateralism plan. First of all, its fabricator, the United States, is the country that often uses unilateralism indiscriminately. Its main content and purpose also serve American strategy towards Afghanistan. Therefore, the “New Silk Road” plan eventually failed. It is not so much the failure of US policy towards Afghanistan and its failure in Afghan War, as the failure of the unilateralism by US.

Part Three: The characteristics and harms by unilateralism

Unilateralism refers to the tendency to deal with foreign policy and affairs alone. For example, the U.S. should attach great importance to its interests in all matters, and should not let US restricted by other countries, international organizations or some treaties, even its alliances. It is also said that unilateralism is to determine the direction of US policy from the perspective of American power and its own interests, rather than to realize US interests through close cooperation with the international community. As saying concretely, the United States always makes policy decisions on the interests and security for all mankind and the World, only based on its own interests and judgments, rather than on the needs and opinions of the international community.

In the international community, US also persists in its own ways and ignores the reasonable interests of other countries and the criticism and condemnation by international public opinion.

The international community generally believes that unilateralism is one kind of foreign policy held by American conservatism. At present, the word “unilateralism” used by people in the world, refers to the behavior by the United States, which is the only superpower in the world. Because in dealing with international affairs, the United States always refuses to consult with other countries, only based on its own judgment and national interests.It is indeed a manifestation of the seeking world hegemony by the United States.

The United States often practices unilateralism in its foreign relations, which is extremely offensive, destructive and harmful to the legitimate interests of other countries, the security and stability of the region and the world, and the peace and development of the world. First of all, it has cracked down on different voices around the world, curbed the development of other countries and increased the imbalance of international power. Secondly, it undermines the existing norms of international relations law and further weakens the status and role of the United Nations. Finally, it hinders the pace of global peace and development, intensifies the vicious competition in armaments and economy, increases the artificial internal consumption of resources around the world, and increases the factors of world instability.

According to the definition of unilateralism, it refers to the behavior and tendency by the specific powerful country. It has been leading to withdraw or challenge the established or negotiated rules and systems for maintaining international, regional and collective peace, development and progress independently, regardless of the wishes of most countries and peoples, and to have destructive effects and consequences on the overall or local peace, development and progress. In this sense, unilateralism is also one form of hegemonism.

Part Four: Unilateralism goes Against the willing of the people

There is no doubt that the United States is the unilateralist and hegemonic country, because it often pursues unilateralism and hegemonism in its foreign relations. The US government has often wielded the sticks of unilateralism in the fields of trade, environmental protection and military, which is causing "tearing" and "subversion" to multilateralism over and over gain.

After the end of the cold war, American Unilateralism Policy has been developing. In March 2001, shortly after George Walker Bush took office, he announced to unilaterally withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol of the global climate agreement signed by the Clinton administration on the grounds that “reducing greenhouse gas emissions would affect the economic development of the United States” and “developing countries should also undertake emission reduction obligations”. After the “9·11” incident, the United States vigorously pursued its unilateralism policy in the name of anti-terrorism. During the George Walker Bush administration, the United States also withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council until the year of 2009.

 

Take the case of US President trump and his administration as the example. The US government vigorously promotes “US first”. Some people criticize that this kind of “US first” is the pronoun of extreme national egoism. Some even think that “US first” is actually against the people of the world. Under the “US first” policy “oriented by the result”, the United States has constantly pulled away from the world order established after World War II and evaded its due responsibilities and obligations.

The U.S. government not only withdrew from the Iran nuclear  agreement,exerts“Ultimate pressure” on Iran,  and unilaterally suspended the treaty on medium range missile between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union, but also mobilized the U.S. and its allies to suppress Huawei, one private Chinese company. These actions by the United States are the typical of unilateralism.

This kind of unilateral and hegemonic behaviors by the United States, which only cares for its own interests and bears no responsibility, goes against the willing of the people, and has been widely criticized and resisted by the international community. Many countries in the world are against American unilateralism and hegemonism, sometimes including its allies of the United States.

Part Five: How to oppose unilateralism

The world is shared by all countries and all the peoples, not only by the United States. It is the common responsibility and obligation for the world community to safeguard the peace, development and cooperation in the world, and maintain the morality and justice of the international community. What unilateralism can bring to today's world and the international community are only problems, injuries and disasters. Unilateralism is not only related to the world pattern and international order, but also has a significant impact on the development conditions and external development environment for majority of the countries in the World, especially for the developing countries and regions. Therefore, for many countries, to oppose unilateralism is to defend and safeguard their own legitimate rights and interests. How to oppose unilateralism? In my point of view, it should at least start from the following aspects:

A.Dare to say “no” to unilateralism

As for the unilateralism pursued by the United States, the international community should not allow US to do whatever it wants. It should be encouraged to resist and fight against the unilateralism, Just like Iran, North Korea and the people of Afghanistan. They set a good example for the whole world and is worth learning from. It should be encouraged to say “no” to the unilateralism and hegemonism by the United States.

B. Constantly develop and strengthen ourselves

We should constantly develop and strengthen ourselves, especially our self-defense ability and economic strength, so as to resist unilateralism and say “no” to unilateralism. Iran is a good example in this regard. Today, Iran can not only resist the threat of unilateralism, but also win widely respect in the World.

3. To make use of multilateral international platforms

For the peace loving and justice advocating countries and people in the world, in the struggle against unilateralism, we should make full use of the role of multilateral international platforms, in order to form international joint forces and momentum against unilateralism. There are indeed many such multilateral international platforms, such as the United Nations, the Non Aligned Movement, the Group of 77, the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and so on.

4. To strengthen international cooperation

It is the common responsibility and obligation by the international community to safeguard the world peace and justice. To oppose unilateralism, we should focus on strengthening international cooperation, with the aim of minimizing the negative impact of unilateralism. In this aspect, we should not only strengthen cooperation among the developing countries, but also unite the just people and forces in western countries and societies, so as to jointly oppose unilateralism.

5. To promote the development of multi polarization in the world

It is well- known, after the cold war, the United States has become the only superpower in the world. The world has also evolved from the Bipolar Structure to the Unipolar World. This kind of world pattern is one of the important reasons why unilateralism is even prevailing. It is obviously not conducive to the world's peaceful cooperation and development. Therefore, all members of the international community should make joint efforts to continuously push the world towards multipolarity.

Conclusion

The “belt and road” initiative proposed by China is widely welcomed in the World and many countries are willing to participate in it because the“belt and road” advocates co - consultation, co - construction and co-sharing benefits. However, there are few respondents to the “New Silk Road” plan proposed by the United States. The main reason is that it serves the strategic goal of the United States for Afghanistan and is the product of the United States' unilateralism, so it will inevitably fail.

Unilateralism is another form of hegemonism, and it is also the common diplomatic act by the United States. The promoter of unilateralism tends to focus on its own interests and judgments, and not on the legitimate rights and interests and feelings by other countries and the international community. Unilateralism is extremely aggressive, destructive and harmful to the security and stability of the region and the world, and to the peace and development of the world, as well. Therefore, the United States is not welcome, because of its unilateralism, which has been widely criticized and resisted by the international community.

In order to safeguard our rights, interests and our dignity, we must dare to say “no” to American unilateralism and hegemonism. In this field, Iran and other countries and their people have set a good example for the international community. These countries and people have not only successfully thwarted the attempts by the United States, but also won widespread respect around the world. The international community should give them supports, jointly resist unilateralism, and strive to push the world towards multipolarity.