On February 28, the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iran because of the parties’ fears that Iran possesses nuclear weapons that would threaten America’s allies and US national security. Article 2 (4) of the UN Charter prohibits the threat or use of force against other states. Such actions contradict the principle of respect for the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their
internal affairs. Clearly, the UN Charter disallows aggression.

This article highlights the effectiveness of China’s diplomatic efforts to de-escalate in order to preserve regional peace and
security. In this context, it is necessary to examine the effectiveness of achieving the goals of this diplomacy, which is a set of initiatives aimed at achieving sustainable peace and development for all without exception on the basis of living and common destiny. It is effectively linked to compliance with international law, the UN Charter and resolutions of international legitimacy within the framework of consensus.

The success of China’s diplomatic efforts and objectives in the Middle East region depends on the extent to which the regional actors cooperate with those efforts. In this context, the commitment to the effectiveness and governance of the international system in accordance with international law and the UN Charter is the compass of this dialogue.

In particular, the objectives of Chinese diplomacy are clearly defined and the directions are closely and firmly linked to what is stated by the law and international consensus, it emphasizes the need for dialogue and consultation to resolve any dispute by peaceful means; the rejection of the use of force in order to enhance influence, control or support allies at the expense of other parties.

On the other hand, the absence of a diplomatic solution and the failure of the current Chinese
diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation will be a prelude to the collapse of the entire international
system. In such a case, the Law of the Jungle will prevail, and then the region will witness more wars and conflicts that portend a total war whose end would be unpredictable.

The reason for this is that America and Israel are seeking to form allies in more than one place in order to provide support in various ways. If this happens, the future scenarios for the effectiveness of international relations will be ambiguous, then the prospects and
the future role of the UN Security Council as mandated by the UN Charter to protect the sovereignty of states, the security of citizens and their national gains will end up in sustainable deficit.

In this context, I firmly believe that the US, Israel and their Western allies have become firmly convinced of the need to build alliances, reshaping the region in line with their interests. For them this is an opportunity to reshape the international system in accordance with theirwishes, and to evade international legal obligations regarding the resolution of outstanding issues regionally and internationally, foremost of which is the resolution of the Palestinian issue.

Therefore, today’s situation requires active and balanced States. The Middle East region needs to cooperate seriously and responsibly with the efforts of Chinese diplomacy in order to achieve its goals, Namely, to stop the war and protect the security and sovereignty of states and the lives of citizens and their national gains, far from any bets on the American or Israeli side and their Western allies. Especially as the latter aim at more destruction in this region and the failure of sustainable development plans, and the aggravation of internal conflicts in order to hit the sovereignty and security of states, and also to control citizens, plunder their goods and destroy their national gains, thereby achieving their central goals by further embodying colonialism and strengthening control and influence in the expansion of one state at the expense of other peoples and states.

China alone cannot offer a magic solution to address the current Middle East destruction and bloodshed. China’s diplomacy stems from a culture of tolerance and coexistence and rejection of aggression or interference in the affairs of others. It is aimed at cooperation to
reach common good. Beijing offers initiatives and ideas that fit into the international system and the spirit of the UN Charter, based on equal rights for all member states.

The success of well-meaning Chinese endeavors means good and victory for all, stopping wars, protecting people’s lives and property, respecting the sovereignty and security of states, and achieving sustainable peace and development for all without exception on the basis of mutual respect.

As these lines are drawn the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China sits in its fourth plenary session (20-23 October 2025). Beijing’s brand of diplomacy has made extensive achievements in the process of reform and opening up despite the tangled and complex domestic and international situations.

It has earnestly sought to achieve progress through stability, promote reform through openness, and raise the capacity of openness to expand international cooperation. China’s diplomacy also pursues an unparalleled “firm and resolute” independent peaceful policy, and pushes to build a community of common destiny based on respect and application of common values. Therefore, Chinese diplomacy has put forward the four global initiatives namely development, security, civilization, and governance with the aim of achieving international multilateralism on the basis of fairness and justice and respect for the rights and sovereignty of all countries to achieve peace and sustainable development.

Hence, it is necessary to pay attention to reform and openness by uniting efforts, mobilizing forces, achieving progress in all seriousness and vitality, and then completing the construction of a modern and strong system.

The Importance of Success of Chinese diplomacy

Beijing put forward a set of initiatives and ideas that are in harmony with the spirit and aspirations of international law to resolve most international issues. The importance of this lies in the reconsideration of the current international system to work on a sound and just basis, doing away from strengthening the control of one or some parties over the international decision-making process in order to achieve special interests, or reduce respect for the sovereignty and rights of states or interfere in their internal affairs of others. For China every state is equal under the international law in rights and duties.

Chinese diplomacy has come through with a series of initiatives towards the most outstanding international issues. These initiatives offer actual solutions in line with local and international aspirations and laws. Beijing did not impose solutions in order to build alliances against any party, nor did it seek to compliment one party at the expense of the rights of others. China’s aim has been of one of re-activating international institutions to resolve fundamental issues. The absence of multilateralism in international governance means the formation of groups and alliances in order to strengthen control away from the Rule of Law, Justice and international consensus.

Therefore, the importance of supporting the success of the goals and principles of Chinese diplomacy is a collective responsibility that everyone bears by cooperating with China to solve vital international issues, especially since the success of the goals of that diplomacy concerns not only the Chinese, but also others with the goal of achieving sustainable peace and development. The world is going through complex challenges and circumstances, and this requires strengthening cooperation and joint action from all parties in order to achieve collective and common benefit in maintaining international peace and security, as well as sustaining the effectiveness of the two international covenants on human rights in 1976, the International Covenant on civil and political rights and the International Covenant on economic, social and cultural rights.

2013: Landmark Year: Belt and Road is Launched

In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the Belt and Road Initiative, which the Chinese leadership considers a successful attempt to strengthen regional and international communication to embrace a more stable, open and prosperous future on the basis of equality among all without exception, based on mutual respect and benefit. Between 2021-2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping also launched the Four Global Initiatives for:

1.Development 2. Security 3. Civilization 4. Governance  

in order to collectively confirm that all of humanity has a historic opportunity to promote unity, sustainable cooperation, human solidarity, and civilized exchanges.

Accordingly, Chinese diplomacy is seeking to support and strengthen the work of the United Nations to be more effective to solve various international core issues. Multilateralism is at the core of Beijing’s foreign and security policy.

Effectiveness of Chinese diplomacy in the international system

The United Nations Organization was founded in 1945 after the Second World War. The Charter of the United Nations specified that the purpose of its establishment is to protect international peace and security, and the development of international relations between states on the basis of mutual respect for all regardless of the size, wealth and power of each state, as well as respect for the principle of equal rights. In this context, Chinese diplomacy aims to strengthen the role and status of the international system by emphasizing the international consensus. In Beijing’s frame of mind domination by any strong member state must be ruled out.

The Middle East region has been living in a state of instability as a result of the continued absence of a solution to the Palestinian issue, eroding international peace and security.

The root cause of the ME instability is the disregard of influential countries to abide by international law. Chinese diplomacy seeks through effective cooperation with the countries of the region to promote Arab and regional unity and solidarity in order to arrive at inclusive stability and prosperity.

The Global Governance Initiative, recently launched by President Xi Jinping, coinciding with the anniversary of Victory Day in September 2025, emphasizes the importance of the governance of the international system to be more powerful and effective in solving all international issues. Salient among these is the governance of the Middle East through the resolution of its outstanding issues.

Primary task is to address the Palestinian issue on the basis of justice, equity and the rule of international law. This is the only way to achieve security therefore peace, stability and prosperity.

Co-Authors: Dr. Morris Mottale & Dr. Yiorghos Leventis

At the end of the Cold War, in Washington and Western Europe there was a consensus that a new world order was coming around. Overlooked was the fact that an Islamic revolution in Iran led by an octogenarian Ayatollah brought a series of upheavals in the Islamic world that saw radical terrorism, revolutions in Africa, and civil wars that continue to this day. These events were capped years later by conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, North Africa, and Sub Saharan Africa and eventually a radical Islamic takeover in Afghanistan. In short, the end of the Cold War brought an endless list of conflicts of which the two outstanding ones are the war in Ukraine and the war within the Gaza Strip. There are at least fifty other wars in Africa and Asia but they do not make the news, including conflicts in Somalia, Central Africa Republic, Ethiopia, Sudan, Southern Sudan, and The Republic of Congo among many others.

The preeminence of international news networks such as CNN and the BBC along with social media brings the focus solely on the Arab-Israeli conflict and American politics. By the year 2000, there was a consensus that the new International System would see antagonism between China and the United States. By 2025, Chinese commercial trade preeminence was challenging the European Union and the North American free trade area. From 2000 onward, the Chinese set out to create a new economic block known as BRICS which is composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, and by 2025 they included Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. The direct challenge to the US in many areas of the International System began with the challenge that Radical Islam, shaped and manipulated by the Ayatollah, posed against the US, France, and Great Britain. The outstanding tool for Islamic expansion was the Arab-Israeli conflict and more specifically the Palestinian issue. Within a few years of the establishment of what appeared to be peace treaties between Israel and some of its neighbors (Abraham Accords), the Islamic world and the Global South saw antagonism to the existence of the Jewish state, with regional conflicts in which conflicting parties took sides in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Interestingly, the same parties, with some exceptions including India, are also members of BRICS.

The preeminence of the United States – however much challenged by China, Russia, and Iran – did not decrease the importance of the United States presidential elections of 2024. For the world, the US election was bound to be a defining moment in international politics, regardless of the outcome. The outstanding elements in the International System are the resentment and imitation of American cultural trends, including US mass media. What passes for American soft power is affirmative action and the woke ideology. The US stands out as an agent of cultural change. The anti-women movement in Islamic society has been influenced by the globalization of American culture and the preeminent role of women in American and European society. Misogyny has become a political ideology in the Islamic world. The competition between the major powers is compounded by the rise of new technologies, shaped by electronic communication, artificial intelligence, and cyber technology.

In 2013, China proposed changes to global currency to bypass, if not outright abolish the US Dollar. The original BRIC group was dubbed very loosely the “BRICS,” including Brazil, China, Russia, India, and South Africa. In time, other countries also joined. Venezuela and Turkey are seeking entry to the trade group, which has gained momentum.

The official members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization are primarily Asian, Arabic and nations within the former Soviet Union, but growing interest across the Middle East and South America is notable. In 2004, the SCO officially established relations with the United Nations as an observer, in addition to other international bodies.

Two principle international conflicts, the Gaza War and Ukraine, along with conflicts in Africa and Asia have sped up the process of this new world order, where the Anglo-American ideal of a rule-based system is being challenged on the grounds that it is fundamentally pro-American, pro-Liberal, and pro-Capitalist. The rise of conflicts within the Islamic world and the widespread anti-Israeli, anti-Jewish and anti-Semitic positions of many countries from Latin America to Asia to Africa are adding another dimension to this new world order yet to come.

Rise of Islamic Politics in the West

The rise of Islamic politics in France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Canada the United States and the United Kingdom has influenced domestic electoral politics. In Europe, for example, the rise of the so-called extremist parties like AfD (Alternative for Germany) or the Rassemblement National in France have given new weight to the idea that liberal democratic order, which has characterized the development of Western Europe and America in the post-war period, is not accepted by large portions of the population. Similar trends are evident across Europe, with the rise of Vox from Spain, 5 Stelle in Italy, and BNP in the United Kingdom.

Speaking of the latter, let’s take a closer statistical look at the upsurge of Islamic politics in the UK. There is an array of hard political facts: Muslims count for four million in a total population of 66 million in the UK. Yet they elect Muslim mayors in no less than nine major urban centres in the country, including the mayor of the capital, London, of the second largest city Birmingham and of the world-renowned liberal university city of Oxford. The other six Muslim-led municipalities are: Blackburn, Leeds, Luton, Oldham, Rochdale, Sheffield. There are now 3,000 mosques, (one mosque per 80 square kilometres roughly) 130 Sharia Courts and 50 Sharia councils in the UK. Seventy-eight per cent of Muslim women do not work and receive state support, 63 per cent of British Muslims are out of work and receive state support. UK Muslim families on the receiving end of state support and free accommodation have on average six to eight children. Every school in good old Christian England is required to teach about Islam. Under such circumstances, guess which is the most common name given to British boys nowadays. You guessed right: it is Mohammed!

Greece: Demographic Collapse

At the other end of the Old Continent, Greece, an ancient nation reborn in 1830, lying at the southeastern fringes of the European Union, has been in deep trouble for the past two decades. Endemic corruption and leadership incompetence brought up mounting external foreign debt. Greece’s government debt hovers around 160 per cent of the GDP. The country’s economic woes are compounded by the hordes of irregular migrants. Periodically, vulnerable segments of Hellas’ 15,000 kilometres long coastline get awash with hundreds of mainly sub-Saharan and Middle Eastern unsolicited destitute visitors. The Hellenic Republic currently hosts a large number of immigrants accounting for over a million or approximately ten per cent of the total population, a considerable proportion of whom are Muslim. Pew Research and other international reports estimate there are 520,000 additional Muslims in Greece who are refugees, regular or irregular migrants, or asylum‑seekers. This number is in addition to the indigenous recognized Muslim minority in Western Thrace numbering around 140,000 people. Sharia law applies for this minority, which enjoys a special status in terms of religious and cultural rights, in derogation to the Hellenic Civil Law, in compliance with the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923 governing its status.

Greece’s Muslim immigrants are in the most part Albanians (over 0.4 million) who are not particularly devout Muslims given their socialization for over 50 years in a totalitarian communist regime banning religion. In fact, a number of them, in their everyday life, adopt Greek names – either ancient or modern.

However, what should be underlined, is that the rise in the incoming Muslim population in the Hellenic Republic comes on the sharp backdrop of the flight of an impoverished indigenous Greek Orthodox population. Young Greeks are forced to become economic migrants themselves in the more affluent countries of the northern tier of the EU, the UK, the US and Canada. A rough total figure of migrant Greeks for the first quarter of the 21st century is estimated to be around 1.3 to 1.5 million! This is definitely a generation lost for the country. Brain drainage ad nauseum.

To make things worse, Greek birth rates are falling rapidly. Though a small nation, or perhaps because of this, the sharp demographic decline of Greece, has not escaped the attention of Elon Musk. The flamboyant billionaire businessman reposted, on 2 September 2025, an article that reported over 700 schools in Greece were closing due to falling student numbers. He captioned the post: “The death of Greece.” The actual number of Greek schools shutting down because of failing to reach the threshold of fifteen pupils is 721. Conclusively, in the first quarter of the current century, the Hellenic Republic lost well over a million of highly qualified young Greeks only to be replaced by half a million of unskilled Muslim immigrants.

Development of communication technology, social media

The causes of such new developments have to be found in the development of communication technology and what we used to call rising expectations, which characterized the study of development in the 50s and 60s. Social media and international visual communications have fueled rising expectations in the 21^st century. This New World Order has also been characterized by large numbers of so called “illegal” immigrants from Africa, Asia, and Latin America moving to North America or into Western Europe.

In the case of Germany, for example, the growth of “extremist” parties has been fueled by the presence of illegal immigrants and the ease with which the German government has allowed real and imaginary refugees to move and enjoy the benefits of a welfare society in Germany under Angela Merkel. In fact, by September 2024, Germany had imposed passport controls on its borders, irritating some of its neighbors because this policy is against the idea of an integrated, borderless Europe. Both in Europe and North America, the rise of Chinese exports and the decline of local industries, ranging from the car industry to chemicals and steel, has led the traditional working classes to support nationalist and protectionist parties. American elections have seen both parties talking about protecting American industry. This also seems to be the case in Canada.

This new world order has also been propelled by the so-called “Woke Business,” the rise of racial identification, which has added to racial and identity politics all over the world. In Islamic countries, ranging from Pakistan to North and West Africa, this has meant the persecution of Christians and Jews, to the extent that women who do not wear the hijab face persecution. Paradoxically, Islamic society is also being threatened by radical Islamic societies. Al Qaida and violent subversive groups are propagating across Africa and Asia.

Leadership in Western Europe and North America has sometime faced this issue in response to radical terrorism such as 9/11 and Bataclan. More immediate political concerns and challenges see democratic political systems concentrating on jobs, education, human rights, immigration and, last but not least, climate change. Historically, from the Napoleonic period onward, world orders and balances of power never lasted more than a generation. For example, the Peace of Versailles world order lasted twenty years. The Cold War order in Europe lasted from 1947 to 1989. The relative peace that followed the fall of the Soviet Union lasted fifteen years at most, as NATO expanded into Eastern Europe and the rise of a new Russia set off a renewed arms race and added more weight to the developing BRICS.

The spectacular victory of the Ayatollahs in the Middle East and the rise of radical Shiite politics saw Iran waging ideological and international antagonism against Israel. This was historically due to the fact that Ayatollah Khomeini and his followers were violently opposed to the existence of a Jewish state and Zionism. The war in Gaza, while carried out by Hamas, has been instigated and pushed by the Ayatollahs of Iran, unhinging any attempt by the United States and Europe to bring some degree of a peaceful order in the Middle East.

An interesting facet of this new world order was how India, China, and even some Islamic countries such as the United Arab Emirates became interested in a race to the moon. The increasing competition for status and prestige saw an explosion of international sports. Countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar bought themselves international competitions and famous European players to attempt a change in global perspective towards them, with mixed success.

One approach to studying these new developments would focus on the idea of cultural and political resentment by non-European countries, which for the last two centuries have seen France, Britain and the United States shaping the international order and cultural and political values, ranging from the status of women to economic protectionism and the assertion of secular Euro-American values. For example, the decline of Indian socialism has meant the rise of a new Indian identity which focuses on Hinduism, and the reassertion of Indian heritage against Islam, creating further violent conflict with Pakistan. Cultural trends from the United States, such as radical feminism, transgenderism, the acceptance of homosexuality and homosexual marriages have added even more contentious issues characterizing this new world order. In Russia, Putin’s government has made clear that homosexual values and marriages will not be accepted, and this has of course been the case in countries in Africa and Asia.

An insight into the cultural and economic context of the rise of BRICS and the New World Order should not overlook the fact that many of the conflicts in the world are of cultural origins. At one time, one could have employed the term “ideological,” but culture and ideology overlap each other, as do religious attitudes. While Islam began as a religion, after centuries of theologically based governance, it has also become a foundational cornerstone of the political ideology of the Middle East. In today’s world order, Islam has taken on heavy political connotations and has been used by radical groups to unhinge societies in European and American states.

Trumps administration in Washington in 2025 was attempting to enhance American power and control conflicts in the name of an American regulated international system. Whether that idea was feasible remains to be seen. As it was of May of 2025, India and Pakistan were on a threshold of war in Kashmir. It added even more to the notion of civilization and religious conflicts that characterized the Islamic world. From the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean and from North Africa to the Cape.

Preface

There has been an effectiveness of Chinese diplomacy towards resolving the Palestinian issue in all occasions and forums since the Bandung Conference in 1955, when China affirmed its rejection of foreign occupation and its support for national liberation movements aimed at self-determination. And with the aggravation of the field situation in the Middle East region, which has become a threat to security, peace & stability due to the absence of a serious solution to the Palestinian issue, which is witnessing unprecedented developments and conditions due to Israel continues its open war and unilateral actions in all the occupied Palestinian territories, Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and refusing to recognize the Palestinian rights. Therefore, China stressed the importance of the commitment of all parties, including Israel, to the rule of international law to resolve the Palestinian issue, noting that resolving the Palestinian issue is important for achieving peace and stability in the Middle East, in contrast, the absence of its solution will affect those efforts and thus threaten international security and peace.

Abstract

The study aims to shed light on the importance and development of Chinese diplomacy between theory and reality, through the connection of that diplomacy with the values and culture of Chinese characteristics, where that diplomacy was characterized by openness and cooperation in order to achieve security, peace and sustainable development for all without exception. It is noteworthy that there is a connection and harmony between the goals and principles of this diplomacy and the Chinese civilization, which is based on understanding, dialogue and exchange with the culture and civilization of others to reach a common destiny.

Therefore, China has put forward the four global initiatives, development, civilization, security and governance, with the aim of achieving integration and joint action to create a community of common destiny in the new era. Thus, it firmly stressed on respect for the sovereignty and rights of states and non-aggression or interference in their affairs, achieving equality in dealing with each other regardless of the strength, size and wealth of each state, and embodying justice, integrity and fairness by strengthening the rule of law on all without exception, and resolving disputes by peaceful means without shortage or prejudice to the rights of others.

And one of the most important features of understanding the nature of Chinese diplomacy is the clarity in the attitude between theory and practice towards supporting the solution of the Palestinian issue, and therefore the Chinese position is consistent and continuous towards resolving the Palestinian issue in accordance with international law, and China has not put forward an alternative to that, as it committed to the path of the two-state solution and supported the political process provided that justice and fairness are fully achieved towards the Palestinian rights.

Based on this, the current study indicates that Chinese diplomacy, at all stages of its development, is able to support & achieve the solution of the Palestinian issue, by putting forward many relevant effective ideas and initiatives, and adhering to a firm position to resolve the issue in all circumstances and occasions on the basis of a comprehensive and just solution. However, this requires joint action and serious responsibility on the part of other actors in the Middle East region in order to achieve international justice towards resolving the long-awaited Palestinian issue, as well as paying attention to the initiatives and goals of Chinese diplomacy to be a supportive and effective factor to re-strengthen the international system on the basis of justice and fairness.

Chinese diplomacy

There is an effectiveness of Chinese diplomacy towards supporting the solution of the Palestinian issue in all forums and in various fields since China’s recognition of the state of Palestine in 1988, knowing that it has been supporting and standing with the issue and the Palestinian people since the fifties by rejecting the occupation and advocating the self-determination of people. This diplomacy is different from all other efforts in support of truth, justice and integrity, and the reason for this it is related to the values and culture with Chinese characteristics, the Chinese culture is not aggressive or Colonial, but is associated with openness and achieving peace and development for all without exception. This is the goal of Chinese diplomacy, which seeks to achieve it through its effective affirmation of commitment to and application of the rule of international law and achieving international justice on all outstanding international issues, the most important of which is the resolution of the Palestinian issue.

The effectiveness of this diplomacy has been expressed through the presentation of many effective ideas and initiatives over the past decade and current time, which are consistent with international law and the UN Charter to resolve all issues such as the resolution of the Palestinian issue. The most important features of these initiatives are that it seeks to strengthen international relations on the basis of cooperation and joint action, and it has not been put forward as an alternative to the United Nations system, its charter and the international institutions. And also it stays away from any alliances against any party based on the principle of respecting the rights and sovereignty of states and not interfering in their affairs or assaulting them. In addition, it complies with the principles of international law and works to protect it through governance and achieve international justice in order to maintain international peace and security.

Chinese diplomacy has put forward many initiatives at the international level that are also related to solving the Palestinian issue, such as the four global initiatives, development, civilization, security and governance, the four-point initiative in 2017 and the four-point plan in 2021 to solve the Palestinian issue. These initiatives and ideas related to the resolution of the Palestinian issue stressed the importance of a peaceful path according to the two-state solution, provided that the United States and Israel should have cooperated with these calls and do not ignore the solution of the Palestinian issue, as well as abide by international law and the international will. Recently, Chinese President Xi Jinping has reiterated the need to achieve international governance in the current international system through achieving the rule of law and international justice towards outstanding international issues, the most important of which is the Palestinian issue, stressing the importance of building a more just and equitable multilateral international system away from the unilateral system led by the United States and its allies, and therefore launched on the first of September 2025, the Global Governance Initiative.

As a result, the Chinese diplomat has sufficient awareness and wisdom to deal with sensitive issues, the most important of which is the resolution of the Palestinian issue, so China will be able to take responsibility and resolutely cooperate with international parties to achieve security, peace and stability in Palestine and the region despite the complex circumstances.

The Palestinian Issue

The Palestinian issue continues to suffer from the absence of a just and comprehensive solution in accordance with international law and resolutions of international legitimacy due to the United States’ disregard for the Palestinian rights by using its veto in international forums, as well as continued support for Israel at all levels, and its insistence on not stopping the war on Gaza despite the international consensus to achieve this. However, China has actively supported a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue for decades, and has consistently affirmed its position to resolve the Palestinian issue by realizing the right of self-determination of Palestinians through establishing an independent and sovereign Palestinian state. Besides, it also has stressed the need for Palestine to obtain full membership in the United Nations, and announced its support for the New York Declaration on the two-state solution and the efforts to recognize the Palestinian state in the international arena. Moreover, it has worked with all international and regional parties resolutely to end the war on Gaza, introduce aid, lift the blockade and protect civilians, stressing that the way to do this is to get rid of the occupation and achieve international justice for the Palestinians.

It is worth mentioning that China has not stood in the way of any previous or current attempts to resolve the Palestinian issue, provided that it should be serious & it has an international consensus, regardless of the source of those attempts or efforts. For instance, China supported and welcomed the talks and peace process between the Arabs & Palestinians and the Israelis in the late eighties, and recognized the state of Palestine to support the Arab-Palestinian position and international efforts to achieve the sovereignty of Arab countries and the self-determination of the Palestinians. Furthermore, the United States submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council in March 2002 No. 1397, which stressed the need to support the establishment of two states, Israel and Palestine, within its security borders, as a result of the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada. So China and the rest of the member states voted on the US draft resolution, and it did not take a counter-decision because America sponsored the draft, out of respect for the international will to support efforts to achieve peace, as well as its support for the establishment of a Palestinian state in accordance with international law and consensus.

Besides, the Arab summit in Beirut announced the Arab Peace Initiative in 2002, which stipulated the recognition and embodiment of the Palestinian state before the establishment of normal relations with Israel. This initiative was adopted as one of the references for resolving the Palestinian issue at the regional and international levels, and therefore China supported and welcomed this initiative and the Arab efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue. In return, the United States supported the normalization of relations between the Arab state and Israel, away from the efforts of that initiative to establish peace and stability, which has become one of the Arab, Islamic and international references for resolving the Palestinian issue.

The Palestinian issue has been undergoing unprecedented developments since the seventh of October 2023, in light of the continuation of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, the taking of unilateral measures in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the refusal to recognize legitimate Palestinian rights, and non-compliance with international law to resolve the Palestinian issue with the active support of the United States in all forums. In contrast, Chinese diplomacy has characterized by supporting the efforts of the international community to stop the war, introducing aid and seriously seeking to find a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue, where China stressed the need for compliance and application of international law to resolve the Palestinian issue by the United States, Israel and all relevant parties.

This confirms that Chinese diplomacy is committed to its firm and effective position to support the resolution of the Palestinian issue despite all the circumstances and the attempts to downplay the importance of those efforts and initiatives by the United States and its allies, which still refuses to cooperate with China effectively to achieve peace and stability in the region through resolving the Palestinian issue. China does not use the Palestinian issue as a tool to strengthen influence and control, achieve a special interest, or support one axis or ally against another, because Chinese diplomacy stems from values and culture with Chinese characteristics based on openness and cooperation to achieve the common destiny of all without exception.

On the other hand, the United States, Israel and their allies have been procrastinating in adhering to international law to resolve the Palestinian issue for decades, ignoring Chinese ideas, calls and initiatives to promote justice and the rule of international law to resolve the Palestinian issue, in addition to not cooperating or obeying the international consensus in this regard. This was noted at the 80th meeting of the UN General Assembly recently in New York during the two-state solution conference, which received an effective international consensus, where China and many partners and sponsoring countries announced their active support for this conference, seeking to prevent them from resolving the Palestinian issue by establishing an independent and sovereign Palestinian state in accordance with international law, and therefore more western countries announced their recognition of the Palestinian state on the basis of the two-state solution, but the United States, Israel and their allies opposed these steps, considering them a unilateral escalation that threatens security and peace in the region, amid escalating accusations among all parties to bear the consequences later.

Achievements

The interest of Chinese diplomacy in the Palestinian issue and considering it as one of the main axes of Chinese foreign policy in its international relations is an achievement, because China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and has extensive international relations and an active role in international organizations and institutions to protect international peace and security. In addition, China supports the institutions of the Palestinian state in various fields, and its pursuit of Palestinian internal unity through the “Beijing Declaration” in July 2024. Also China was the first country to recognize Palestine as a state, and has supported all Arab and international draft resolutions and initiatives in the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly to resolve the Palestinian issue, the most important of which is the right of Palestinians to self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state. And one of the most important countries that firmly demanded the need to end the war on Gaza, the introduction of aid, the lifting of the blockade and the end of the occupation of the Palestinian territories in accordance with international law. Besides, China supported the two-state solution conference in New York in line with the Arab and international will, and demands that Palestine obtain full membership in the United Nations. Therefore, Chinese diplomacy is resolutely effective in supporting the resolution of the Palestinian issue despite all circumstances and obstacles.

Challenges

The solution of the Palestinian issue still faces effective challenges, the most important of which is the US ignoring the solution of the Palestinian issue through unlimited support for Israel, as well as non-cooperation with the international consensus in this regard, and content with the unilateral opinion of the leadership of the international community through the American point of view in dealing with outstanding issues, the most important of which is the Palestinian issue. In addition, Israel’s non-compliance with international law and resolutions related to the Palestinian issue, its refusal to stop the war, the introduction of aid and lifting the blockade on the Palestinians, and refusal to declare a two-state solution as well, and therefore not responding to the efforts of the international community seeking to resolve the Palestinian issue in a just, comprehensive and sustainable manner to achieve peace and stability in the region. Besides, there are some obstacles related to the European side, namely interference in the internal Palestinian affairs regarding the future and form of the system of government in Palestine, as well as imposing preconditions on Palestinian politicians that may affect the course of achieving Palestinian national unity. So this will affect the “Beijing Declaration” to achieve reconciliation and Palestinian national unity, and therefore the absence of Palestinian internal unity means the absence of governance of the Palestinian institution, and this will affect the joint efforts of China and other countries to resolve the Palestinian issue in international forums.

Conclusion

Chinese diplomacy has been resolutely and consistently effective in resolving the Palestinian issue at all international events and forums for decades. The goals and aspirations of Chinese diplomacy are in line with international law and the UN Charter to resolve the Palestinian issue. The absence of a solution to the Palestinian issue does not mean the weakness or inefficiency of Chinese diplomatic efforts towards it, but rather the absence of serious and responsible cooperation by the United States, Israel and their allies in the international system. The United States continues to support Israel and ignores the solution of the Palestinian issue in accordance with international law, and uses a veto against any decision in this direction, as well as the lack of seriousness of its steps towards accepting the governance of the current international system, and thus maintaining dominance and control over this system as it deems appropriate to resolve its outstanding issues, including the Palestinian issue.

On the other hand, Chinese diplomacy has succeeded in strengthening coordination and cooperation among member states, and has reactivated international commitments to affirm the right of self-determination of the Palestinians and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, and China has supported the two-state solution conference and the efforts of countries to recognize the Palestinian state recently. In this context, Chinese diplomacy has activated the tools of political and diplomatic action through multilateral relations, thereby mobilizing international public opinion to support the path of a two-state solution and then a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue in accordance with respect for the rule and principles of law and international references.

As a result, the efforts of the Chinese diplomatic mission will remain effective and continuous to enhance cooperation within the international system to be more just and equitable towards resolving the Palestinian issue, and this has been noted by the increasing international recognition of the Palestinian state and the adoption of the two-state solution conference as a path to resolve the Palestinian issue with actual measures. This gives the Palestinians and the Chinese “hope” to continue cooperation with member states to support the governance of the international system based on justice and the rule of international law, and this means achieving multilateralism and then resolving all international issues, the most important of which is the Palestinian issue. Therefore, China is able to achieve this because the wisdom of Chinese diplomacy is based on integrity, justice and respect for people’s rights.

In the Rimland Theory, the renowned American political scientist Nickolas Spykman introduces the Inner Crescent Theory. The theory’s introduction forms the basis of America’s geopolitical thought and in extension the practice of the Western World. The Inner Crescent Theory is a worthy mention in this article owing to the importance of the contents contained therein. However, such mention will be brief as this article’s main intention does not lie in making a detailed reference to the previously mentioned theory. Instead, the objective is to understand it through perceiving the world as a competitive environment between land and sea forces.

Sir Halford John Mackinder was Nickolas Spykman’s mentor. Sir Halford helped shape his perception. In his work The Geographical Pivot of History Mackinder discusses the importance of the World-Island, which comprises the interlinked continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia. These are the most populous and richest land combinations possible. He also traces the Pivot Area, which consists of the territories of the earth’s centre. His idea is that the alliance between the two would lead to domination resulting from abundant population as well as natural resources. Mackinder published his book Democratic Ideals and Reality in 1919. His perceptions can aptly be summarized as follows: “whoever rules East Europe commands the Heartland; whoever rules the Heartland commands the World-Island; whoever rules the World-Island commands the World.”

In his essay “The Geography of the Peace” (1944) Spykman revised Mackinder’s work. He sought to correct Mackinder’s geopolitical perceptions regarding the primary geopolitical importance of the Pivot Area. Instead, he shifted focus to those states that formed a circle around the Central Earth, also known as the “Heartland” or Russia. These are the countries surrounded by the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans and also the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. An alliance of the states found in that common area would effectively strangle the Heartland’s land forces and deny them access to both the land and sea trade routes.

Maritime isolation, viewed as a disadvantage can be reversed into an advantage by controlling the sea trade routes. The US, UK, and Japan as maritime powers have been utilizing this advantage to the present. Control of the Crescent of Containment is more significant in geopolitical terms than a grip on the Heartland. Failure to control the former, allows the land forces to decisively turn the global balance of power in their favor.

Climate Change & Ice Melting

The Rimland Theory has for a long time persisted with much prevail even as it is in support of the plan by the West to impose a chokehold on the USSR and subsequently to its heir, the Russian Federation. An interesting dynamic has since occurred that Spykman could not have foreseen in 1944: ice melting in the Arctic Circle has opened up the possibility of a northern sea trade passage. Such an opening will effectively weaken the level of importance that the Crescent carries.

The melting ice introduces a significant shift in power dynamics strengthening the RF over its rivals. Such melting eases the extraction of energy resources in the AC. Moscow gets into position to gain maritime advantage in addition to the immense land power that it already has. One could suggest that EU and UN member states turn to green growth does not only pertain to the need to channel capital into a new investment area in an effort to protect the environment from the long term deleterious effects of fossil fuel consumption. Climate change moves centre stage in geopolitical competition.

Opening of the northern sea passage weakens maritime trade through the Suez Canal. This is the desire of both Russia and China, but also India, within the framework of the Polar Silk Road (PSR) project. The PSR project is seen as a less costly alternative for merchant shipping from East to West. Implementation of the PSR has been met with US hostility. Washington has taken both diplomatic and military steps to frustrate its development. The EU, on the other hand, has not taken any aggressive stance. Brussels is rather defensive in its approach. China tends to become the most significant trade partner of the Union. (It is now closely trailing in second place behind the US). After US President Donald J. Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP) negotiations (2017) this trend became more accentuated.

Both positive and negative attributes accrue from every phenomenon. It would be wrong to assume that only either of the two should be expected. Predictions thus become difficult to make. A most appropriate example: as the EU turns increasingly to Renewable Energy Sources (RES) thereby diminishing the importance of Russian natural gas imports, Gazprom’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline is coming to fruition. Nord Stream 2 pipeline will establish an energy link between Russia and Germany which will, in turn, weaken the Western Bloc’s attempt to secure alternative routes mainly through the EASTMED and TAP pipelines.

A developing phenomenon is in the making whose consequences will climax in the next twenty to thirty years: Russian acquisition of the Crimean, Syrian, and Libyan ports has cracked the Crescent. However, the opening of the northern passage would create a different dynamic as the Russian merchant fleet develops, with ports and shipbuilding industry within Russian territory.

With the ice melting, Russian access to the Arctic’s mineral wealth is expected to further increase:  a phenomenon already witnessed in Stalin’s era. Yet Russia is in a unique position of strength over the Arctic Circle contestant countries due to its technological know-how in icebreaking technology and pumping of mineral wealth from soils with such characteristics. In addition to maintaining its military superiority over the US, Russia is also renovating its ports on the icy northern shores of Arkhangelsk and Kronstadt.

The EU and the UN on Climate Change and the Dilemmas of the States

The Paris Climate Agreement, of which the US is a member state, aims at a global temperature reduction by two degrees Celsius in comparison to the pre-industrial levels. Reducing pollution by 55 per cent by the year 2030 is an objective of the UN encapsulated within this framework. Additionally, 2050 is the year within which the UN hopes to achieve the first climate-neutral world race that would have zero greenhouse gas emissions and would also disassociate growth from the use of resources.

Despite the effort being made to achieve the goals, the EU report on the participation of RES in total energy consumption for 2019, reveals that the Union is just 0.3% behind the 20% goal. Greece and Cyprus have managed to achieve the national goal they set but are slightly behind the goal set by the EU. It is necessary to mention at this point, that the up-to-date studies regarding the results of the development of RES are not sufficient to determine whether the rate of environmental recovery – and therefore the reversal of the ice melting trend – is higher than its rate of environmental deterioration.

Achieving the Arctic Route remains a big dream. Its operation will, no doubt weaken the significance of North African ports and the Eastern Mediterranean as the initial reception points through the Suez Canal. This will make Russia a remarkable global power with the ability to dynamically project power at sea.

In conclusion, the adaptation of a state’s international alliances must take such tendencies into account, but it does not cease to be shaped based on the respective nation’s advantages. A sober study of the unfolding trend is necessary even as we see its co-existence with compensatory trends. The melting of the ice will strengthen the Russian naval force at the expense of the US bringing a relative balance in this area. At the same time, the RES weakens Russia’s “Natural Gas” superpower weapon as an exportable product to the EU.

*Elias Hadjikoumis is Foreign, Security & Defence Policy Expert and a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) formed in 1996, with the aim of limiting nuclear weapons tests, chronicles the first Chinese nuclear test as follows:

On 16 October 1964, the People’s Republic of China conducted its first nuclear test, making it the fifth nuclear-armed state after the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain and France. China had initiated its nuclear weapons programme in the mid-1950s, after the Korean war. At the outset, its efforts were backed by substantial Soviet assistance, including advisors and technical equipment. Research on nuclear weapon design began at the Institute of Physics and Atomic Energy in Beijing, and a uranium enrichment plant was constructed in Lanzhou to produce weapon-grade uranium.

With the cooling of Sino-Soviet relations in the late 1950s, the Soviet Union withdrew all assistance. In June 1959, Nikita Khrushchev decided to refuse the provision of a prototype bomb to the Chinese. This rupture prompted China to embark on its own nuclear testing project, code-named 59-6 after the month in which it was initiated.

Operation 59-6 was carried out at the Lop Nur test site in the Gobi desert of Xinjiang province, Western China, close to the ancient Silk Route. An implosion-type device was mounted from the top of a steel tower, producing a yield of 22 kilotons. It was the first of a total of 45 Chinese nuclear tests, all of which were conducted at Lop Nur. Twenty three of these tests were atmospheric and 22 underground, the yields ranging from 1 kiloton to 4 megatons. On 17 June 1967, just three years after operation 59-6 – faster than other nuclear weapon possessors – China detonated its first hydrogen bomb.

The effects of China’s nuclear testing on human health, animals and the environment are largely unexplored due to the lack of publically available official data. The Xinjiang region is the largest Chinese administrative division and home to 20 million people of different ethnic backgrounds.  A study carried out by the Japanese physicist Professor Jun Takada suggests that peak levels of radioactivity from China’s large-yield tests exceeded that of the 1986 Chernobyl reactor accident and seriously affected local populations.

In 2008, China started to pay undisclosed subsidies to personnel involved in nuclear testing. Compensation, however, has not been extended to civilian residents of the Xinjiang area, downwind of the Lop Nur test site.

China conducted its last test on 29 July 1996, only two months prior to signing the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) on 24 September 1996. However, it has yet to ratify the CTBT, a step that is mandatory for the Treaty’s entry into force. Ratifications of seven other nuclear-capable states are also missing: the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, India, Israel, Iran, Pakistan and the United States.

[Source : https://www.ctbto.org/specials/testing-times/16-october-1964-first-chinese-nuclear-test/]

In the context of the nuclear disarmament it is interesting to note that in a few months, not later than April 2021, the NPT Review Conference is due to take place. The 2020 NPT Review Conference has been postponed due to the covid-19 pandemic.

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons opened for signature in 1968. the The NPT Treaty entered into force in 1970. Since then, the NPT has been the cornerstone of global nuclear non-proliferation regime. 191 States parties have joined the Treaty, including the five NWS, making the NPT the most widely adhered to, multilateral disarmament agreement.

In a nutshell, there are two legs to the NPT: the first leg pertains to the commitment of the states parties not to proliferate NWs, the second leg asks NWS to take measures in order to decommission their nuclear weapons arsenal. In the past fifty years of the Treaty’s existence emphasis has been solely placed on the non-proliferation provision as NWS have generally failed to report on nuclear disarmament steps.

In the first part of the 21st century, what became increasingly important was the role of China and its systematic policy of creating an economic network through maritime and land routes between the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. Thus by 2020, Beijing’s increasing presence in the Mediterranean was characterized among other developments by commercial control of the Piraeus harbor in Greece, Haifa in Israel, and an interest in Trieste, in Northeastern Italy on the Adriatic. The presence of new Chinese immigrant communities in Italy boosted China’s evermore interest in what China called the “Belt and Road Initiative”(1).

In the Mediterranean, China had an ever growing presence in Algeria. Indicative of this presence was the construction of Djamaa El Djazair or the Great Mosque of Algiers by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation. It was the largest mosque in Africa and the third largest in the world, bigger even than the Great Mosque of Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque of Medina.(2) By 2019, Italy was the first major European country to join the “Belt and Road Initiative” (3), a move that was met with criticism from both Washington and the European Union.

The power and influence of China was such that, considering European moral and ethical concerns about conflicts in Africa and immigration from the Islamic and African world and continuous statements on diversity, tolerance, and religious freedoms, there was very scant interest in the persecution of Islamic national minorities in China, especially the Uighur Turkic national minority in Sinkiang western China.(4)

By 2020, the Trump Administration’s commercial, political, military and territorial objections to China’s international behavior (5) was another confirmation of what in the 1990s been called the Clash of Civilizations, or rather a great power conflict that certainly in the Mediterranean was not a new chapter in its long history. There was a new actor in the Mediterranean and all littoral states had to adjust accordingly.

In May of that year, the Secretary of State of the United States Mike Pompeo made a visit to Jerusalem that made ever clearer that Israel was the closest ally of Washington in the Middle East, as Trump pushed his Middle Eastern Peace plan to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict. At the same time, Washington made it clear that the presence of China in the area economically, strategically and politically was not welcome. In the previous decade, Israel had allowed China to enter the Israeli technical and economic world. Chinese firms for example, were involved in building a metro system and were set to participate in the construction of a desalinization plant. American objections to the Chinese presence of a G5 advance phone network system in Israel were taken into account by Jerusalem. The US convinced Israel to avoid Chinese involvement with the construction of the phone system as it potentially allowed China to spy on Israel and its political, and military intelligence alliance of the United States.(6)

The COVID-19, Coronavirus, or Chinese virus of 2020, highlighted an ever increasing Sino-American confrontation worldwide with challenging implications for the strategic configuration of power in the Mediterranean interesting enough, for classical theories in International Relations ranging from the balance of power to hegemonic competition to clashes of civilizations.

(1) See Morgan Stanley post on March 14th, 2018, https://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/china-belt-and-road.
(2) See Youtube video post March 12th, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3kXGmqAqMs.
(3) See CNBC post by Holly Ellyatt on March 27th, 2019, https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/27/italys-joins-chinas-belt- and-road-initiative.html.
(4) See Haaretz post by Davis Stavrou on October 17th, 2019, https://www.haaretz.com/world- news/.premium.MAGAZINE-a-million-people-are-jailed-at-china-s-gulags-i-escaped-here-s-what-goes-on-inside- 1.7994216.
(5) See Fox News post by Liam Quinn on October 30th, 2019, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mike-pompeo- communist-china-beijing-challenges-head-on.
(6) See Jerusalem post on May 23rd, 2020, https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/israels- relations-with-china-are-creating-a-storm-629076. Also see Times of Israel post on May 26th, 2020, https://www.timesofisrael.com/amid-us-pressure-israel-taps-local-firm-over-chinese-bid-for-desalination-plant/.

Traditionally, the leading positions in the field of “cyber war” are occupied by the United States, China, Russia and Israel. However, recently there are new strong players namely Iran, India and North Korea.

Becoming increasingly aware of the advantages of “cyber influence”, Pyongyang considers it as an important element of its national policy “Songun” (“Army in the first place”) along with the Missile Programme. The North Korean leadership pays considerable attention to the training of specialists in the field of computer technology, and creates attractive conditions for their subsequent job placement. The most promising candidates are sent to study in specialized educational institutions of China and Iran. According to experts on the issues of information security, the modern “cyber army” of North Korea is characterized by high professionalism and bellicosity. Chris Inglis, former Deputy Director of the US National Security Agency (NSA) called the cyber programme of Pyongyang “one of the most effective on the planet, because it allows to achieve the goals at minimal cost.”

Despite the absence of direct evidence, the media and intelligence agencies are now ascribing a large number of resonant “cyber-attacks” to North Korean hackers. In analyzing these incidents, it is possible to distinguish the main goals of Pyongyang in the “cyber space”. First of all, the numerous implementations in the network of financial institutions are a source of income for the sanction-stricken country.

In addition, North Korean hackers make a significant contribution to the development of the national military-industrial complex by stealing military technology. Another important area of activity of specialists from the DPRK is the collection of personal information about individuals, personnel of the armed forces and the plans of the military and political leadership of its main opponents, that is to say the United States and South Korea. The recent attacks made by using the WannaCry virus have shown that Pyongyang has the ability to disable the civil and possibly the military infrastructure. Special emphasis is given to strengthening the image of the state and its leader. According to the FBI, this was the reason for hacking the servers of the Sony Pictures film studio.

It should be noted that the DPRK’s activities in “cyber space” reflect asymmetries and the ability to mask its actions. The first feature is based on the isolation of the state from the Internet, which allows to reduce significantly the likelihood of retaliatory “cyber strike”. Thus, according to the British newspaper The Guardian, the attempt to use the Stuxnet virus to attack the units of the DPRK’s nuclear complex in May 2015 ended in failure. In turn, the disguise is implemented through access to the global network from the territory of other countries. The American edition of “Business Insider”, citing experts on “cyber security” and intelligence reports, claims that a significant part of North Korean hackers are deployed in the Chinese hotel “Chilbosan”, in Shenyang city. The company Recorder Future, specializing in the field of information security, notes that North Korean experts also have access to the Internet from the territory or through servers originating in India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nepal, Kenya, Mozambique and Indonesia. In addition, Pyongyang often resorts to the so-called “operations under another’s flag”. In particular, attacks are disguised as actions of Russian or Chinese hackers. The effectiveness of this approach is achieved through the fact that these countries are traditionally considered by the West as the main threats in the “cyber space”.

It is extremely difficult to assess the real potential of the “cyber army” of the DPRK. Suffices to say that intelligence services and analysts of IT companies do not have a clear idea of its composition, size and management system. At different periods of time, the data on personnel varied from fifty to 17,000 employees. This most relevant piece of information was published in the New York Times. Referring to the assessment of the US and British intelligence services, the report cites that the Korean People’s Army (KPA) has more than 6,000 hackers. At the same time, most of them are outside the country.

However, regardless of the number of specialized structures of the DPRK, the North Korean “cyber threat” is real and causes all sorts of fears around the world. Analysts of the largest IT companies, specialists in the field of information security and anti-virus protection, representatives of intelligence and defence agencies of the United States and European countries agree on the view that Pyongyang significantly increased its potential of in the field of information influence. They also converge in the assessment that there is a low degree of protection against such attacks. According to Robert Silvers, former employee of the Ministry of Homeland Security of the United States: while the world focuses on the nuclear programme of Kim Jong-Un, the North Korean leader develops the potential of weapons capable of inflicting significant damage to the US “without a single rocket launch”.

Now, the specialists are left to wonder what will be the next target of DPRK’s “cyber armу”. Despite some “warming of relations” between Pyongyang and Seoul, it is still untimely to talk about the readiness of the North Korean government to finally make peace with its southern neighbor. At the same time, there is no confidence in the sincerity of Washington’s statements regarding US support for the process of de-escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, we are set to expect that North Korean ‘experts’ continue to look for vulnerabilities in the network infrastructures of their opponents. McAfee, the US developer of anti – virus software spread an alarming message. According to its data, hackers from North Korea carried out the hacking attempts on the databases of the organizers of the Winter Olympics in South Korea’s Pyeongchang. It is not known whether this was a gathering of information or a preparation for the disabling of Olympic infrastructure facilities. In any case, one should admit the truth of Robert Silvers’ words: the world fails to notice the real threat behind the imaginary “nuclear deterrent “.