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At the International Day of Peace 2013 & China-South Asia Peace and Development Forum， held in Kunming， southwest China’s Yunnan Province， on September 21-22， prior to Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s visit to China on September 25， panelists took part in a discussion themed Peace Building Process in Afghanistan： the New Starting-Point for Reconciliation and Cooperation of Countries in the Region. Beijing Review reporter Liu Yunyun covered the panel discussion. Excerpts follow：
Ahmad Zaher Nuri
Member of International Studies of Center for Strategic Studies， Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan
Afghanistan has gone through decades of upheaval. After extended periods of insecurity and the downfall of multiple regimes， Afghanistan finally has an elected central government， chosen by the people of Afghanistan.
To achieve security and long-term peace， we need to have a carefully designed program to regulate internal affairs. That will need serious， honest and continuous cooperation from the international community， especially cooperation from neighboring countries and the region， to formulate a collective security mechanism for Afghanistan.
Even small steps toward peace cost a lot for the people of Afghanistan and the state. The high number of armed groups， absence of representation， continuation of proxy warfare， radicalism， and external interferences—these are just some of the obstacles to achieving peace.
Despite the challenges， Afghanistan is committed to the process. The Afghan Government supported the establishment of a Qatar office of the Taliban to begin serious negotiations with them to approach a sustainable peace.
We are eager to learn through different experiences and models of peace building policies. Peace is the final outcome of any war， because no war can or should continue forever.
Sun Yuxi
Former Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan
China has been cooperating with the United States in dealing with affairs related to Afghanistan. However， it is the Afghan Government and its people who will have to play the essential role in realizing national reconciliation. Any outside interference will only make things worse.
In Afghanistan， China and the United States cooperated with， rather than confronting， each other to ensure peace and stability in the country. From 2002-04， China gave $150 million in aid to Afghanistan to repair its Parvan water conservation project. China has also provided military uniforms and telecommunication services to Afghanistan. At that time， many countries had contributed to the economic reshaping of the country. For instance， U.S. forces helped build the Afghan national army； Germany helped with the building of the national police； Italy gave assistance in the establishment of an Afghan court； and China was responsible for coordinating the relations between Afghanistan and its neighbors. China has actively participated in Afghan reconstruction projects and will continue to do so in the future. Afghanistan is rich in mineral resources and a Chinese company has gained approval to explore a copper mine， which will generate enormous economic benefit for the Afghan Government that will better equip its armed forces. The Afghan Government should consider how to protect the safety of foreign investors and investment in the country.
The American people and the world embrace the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan， but fear the country will again fall into the hands of terrorists. I strongly suggest that the UN play a major role in rebuilding the war-torn country. If Afghanistan feels it is difficult to maintain peace in the country， the UN peace-keeping force might be a better resort.
Mushahid Hussain Sayed
A senator of Pakistan and Chairman of the Senate Defense and Defense Production Committee
There is a regional context to what is happening—the emergence of greater South Asia. South Asia is no longer an economic entity with the seven sub-continental states of India， Pakistan， Sri Lanka， Nepal， Bangladesh， Bhutan， and the Maldives. It includes China； it includes Myanmar； it includes Afghanistan and Iran， woven together by cooperation. The recent signing of the Pakistan-China economic corridor is one indication of that.
The first challenge confronting Afghanistan is to avoid a new cold war or any kind of proxy war. Some countries see China as a so-called threat， and talk of containing China. I think this cold-war mentality in the 21st century is unacceptable.
The second challenge is the balance of power is shifting from the West to the East. It is an Asian century wherein China’s peaceful rise is a source of stability and prosperity for the region. I think that should be welcomed.
The other challenge is the role of the United States. Though the U.S. military may downsize after ending the war， it still wants to maintain 20，000 troops in nine bases throughout Afghanistan.
Pakistan， as a friend and neighbor of Afghanistan， has suffered the most. Since June 2004， we have had 370 drone strikes in Pakistan， resulting in 4，700 casualties of whom less than 2 percent are militants， while the majority are civilians. We are housing 3 million Afghan refugees—2 million documented， 1 million undocumented.
As the interests of Pakistan and Afghanistan are intertwined， we have to work together. The time has come for decisions to be made not from Washington and London， but in the region—in Islamabad， Kabul， and of course Beijing. Hamid Zaman
Advisor to the Bangladesh Institute Peace and Security Studies
Anxiety looms large in the mind of the people in South Asian countries as the U.S.-led NATO troops plan to withdraw the bulk of their forces from Afghanistan after 2014. This may lead to more crises in the region due to increasing competition.
This may not only see a partial meltdown of the Afghan security forces but may also cause various proxy wars that are currently playing out in the region. No peace initiative by intervention from big powers has been successful in recent years， especially in the Arab world.
This phenomenon became more vivid after the collapse of the former Soviet Union， when the world’s power center became unipolar. Peace in real terms is determined by the world’s power house and sub-power house and not by its typical definition. In our regions， if the rising sub-power house does not maintain good people-to-people relations， it creates a sense of mistrust and misunderstanding. Historically， both the rising sub-power house and Afghanistan’s immediate neighbors have had eyes on development in the country.
For a peaceful world， we should pay more attention to expanding education to allow people to understand what is better for them while honoring their socio-cultural and religious sentiments.
In that case， the big power house and sub-power house have to deal with historical irritants including Palestine and Kashmir， otherwise these problems will continue to plague peace initiatives. For an effective and peaceful environment internationally， power centers should be balanced.
The rising power house of China is very cautious about the development taking place around the world and is rightly building its strength and power economically. But too much inertness may leave it very little space to maneuver.
Ahmad Zaher Nuri
Member of International Studies of Center for Strategic Studies， Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan
Afghanistan has gone through decades of upheaval. After extended periods of insecurity and the downfall of multiple regimes， Afghanistan finally has an elected central government， chosen by the people of Afghanistan.
To achieve security and long-term peace， we need to have a carefully designed program to regulate internal affairs. That will need serious， honest and continuous cooperation from the international community， especially cooperation from neighboring countries and the region， to formulate a collective security mechanism for Afghanistan.
Even small steps toward peace cost a lot for the people of Afghanistan and the state. The high number of armed groups， absence of representation， continuation of proxy warfare， radicalism， and external interferences—these are just some of the obstacles to achieving peace.
Despite the challenges， Afghanistan is committed to the process. The Afghan Government supported the establishment of a Qatar office of the Taliban to begin serious negotiations with them to approach a sustainable peace.
We are eager to learn through different experiences and models of peace building policies. Peace is the final outcome of any war， because no war can or should continue forever.
Sun Yuxi
Former Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan
China has been cooperating with the United States in dealing with affairs related to Afghanistan. However， it is the Afghan Government and its people who will have to play the essential role in realizing national reconciliation. Any outside interference will only make things worse.
In Afghanistan， China and the United States cooperated with， rather than confronting， each other to ensure peace and stability in the country. From 2002-04， China gave $150 million in aid to Afghanistan to repair its Parvan water conservation project. China has also provided military uniforms and telecommunication services to Afghanistan. At that time， many countries had contributed to the economic reshaping of the country. For instance， U.S. forces helped build the Afghan national army； Germany helped with the building of the national police； Italy gave assistance in the establishment of an Afghan court； and China was responsible for coordinating the relations between Afghanistan and its neighbors. China has actively participated in Afghan reconstruction projects and will continue to do so in the future. Afghanistan is rich in mineral resources and a Chinese company has gained approval to explore a copper mine， which will generate enormous economic benefit for the Afghan Government that will better equip its armed forces. The Afghan Government should consider how to protect the safety of foreign investors and investment in the country.
The American people and the world embrace the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan， but fear the country will again fall into the hands of terrorists. I strongly suggest that the UN play a major role in rebuilding the war-torn country. If Afghanistan feels it is difficult to maintain peace in the country， the UN peace-keeping force might be a better resort.
Mushahid Hussain Sayed
A senator of Pakistan and Chairman of the Senate Defense and Defense Production Committee
There is a regional context to what is happening—the emergence of greater South Asia. South Asia is no longer an economic entity with the seven sub-continental states of India， Pakistan， Sri Lanka， Nepal， Bangladesh， Bhutan， and the Maldives. It includes China； it includes Myanmar； it includes Afghanistan and Iran， woven together by cooperation. The recent signing of the Pakistan-China economic corridor is one indication of that.
The first challenge confronting Afghanistan is to avoid a new cold war or any kind of proxy war. Some countries see China as a so-called threat， and talk of containing China. I think this cold-war mentality in the 21st century is unacceptable.
The second challenge is the balance of power is shifting from the West to the East. It is an Asian century wherein China’s peaceful rise is a source of stability and prosperity for the region. I think that should be welcomed.
The other challenge is the role of the United States. Though the U.S. military may downsize after ending the war， it still wants to maintain 20，000 troops in nine bases throughout Afghanistan.
Pakistan， as a friend and neighbor of Afghanistan， has suffered the most. Since June 2004， we have had 370 drone strikes in Pakistan， resulting in 4，700 casualties of whom less than 2 percent are militants， while the majority are civilians. We are housing 3 million Afghan refugees—2 million documented， 1 million undocumented.
As the interests of Pakistan and Afghanistan are intertwined， we have to work together. The time has come for decisions to be made not from Washington and London， but in the region—in Islamabad， Kabul， and of course Beijing. Hamid Zaman
Advisor to the Bangladesh Institute Peace and Security Studies
Anxiety looms large in the mind of the people in South Asian countries as the U.S.-led NATO troops plan to withdraw the bulk of their forces from Afghanistan after 2014. This may lead to more crises in the region due to increasing competition.
This may not only see a partial meltdown of the Afghan security forces but may also cause various proxy wars that are currently playing out in the region. No peace initiative by intervention from big powers has been successful in recent years， especially in the Arab world.
This phenomenon became more vivid after the collapse of the former Soviet Union， when the world’s power center became unipolar. Peace in real terms is determined by the world’s power house and sub-power house and not by its typical definition. In our regions， if the rising sub-power house does not maintain good people-to-people relations， it creates a sense of mistrust and misunderstanding. Historically， both the rising sub-power house and Afghanistan’s immediate neighbors have had eyes on development in the country.
For a peaceful world， we should pay more attention to expanding education to allow people to understand what is better for them while honoring their socio-cultural and religious sentiments.
In that case， the big power house and sub-power house have to deal with historical irritants including Palestine and Kashmir， otherwise these problems will continue to plague peace initiatives. For an effective and peaceful environment internationally， power centers should be balanced.
The rising power house of China is very cautious about the development taking place around the world and is rightly building its strength and power economically. But too much inertness may leave it very little space to maneuver.