Feng Shaolei

Dean, School of Advanced International and Area Studies (SAIAS), East China Normal University; Director, Centre for Russian Studies, East China Normal University; Member of the Sino-Russian Committee of Friendship, Peace and Development; Editor-in-Chief for the core journal “Russian Studies”

The theme concerning European security framework at this conference constitutes one of the most urgent problems in world politics. This problem is important not only because it implies significant impacts to Europe, but also because it can provide successful reference for other regions such as Asia as well.

First, why would Europe, one of the main centers in contemporary world, be preoccupied by numerous conflicts and disputes continuously? The answer lies in the lack of an effective security framework. Neither NATO nor the European Union could have the capacity to provide security for the whole European region if the former remained in its present shape and denied to further reform itself and the latter continued lacking of its own sufficient credible defense forces and intervention capability. As for the once -important OSCE (Organization of Security and Cooperation for Europe), it would also be hardly likely to shoulder this mission, if it did not restructure its function under serious discussions. However, OSCE does enjoy a distinctive advantage by providing a forum to incorporate Europe, Russia and the Northern America all into the European security framework.

Second, in fact, the main forces that can decide the future of European affairs remain at the hands of Europe, Russia and the United States those three players. Even at the time of the starting of the Cold War, rather than the merely confrontation between the United States and the former Soviet Union, the European model was already in the stage of formation silently. Just because of this, once the Cold War ended in Central and Eastern Europe, the European Union was able to rise up abruptly and momentously. During the past more than half century, Europe has its own distinctive development logic which is both related to and astray from the Cold War Structure constraints. Russia constitutes one of the indispensable factors in shaping the future of the European system.

Russia’s close historical connections with Europe, Moscow’s spacious territory and plentiful resources, its great strategic potential, as well as its incessant efforts to seeking  institutional innovations, all provide great choices and options for the development of a multiple Europe. As for the United States, it will remain to be the only superpower in the world. Given Washington’s connection with the Europe and its impacts on Brussels, in the foreseeable future, the United States will maintain its existence in Europe as a steady important force. In sum, the relative independence and mutual interdependence among those three key players still comprise the decisive factors in shaping the current European security framework. Mutual respect and effective communication among those three countries will help greatly facilitate the European peace-making process.               

Third, obviously the establishment of an European security architecture will certainly impact other areas in the world profoundly. In Asia where the remnants of the Cold War remain unchanged and several key countries still does not get unified; in North-Eastern Asia where Japan, Russia and China live side by side without the protection of a complete security framework, a successful security framework which can function as a model and reference is in urgent need. In this sense, we sincerely wish all the success for Europe.