Xiang Bo: ‘Profound changes unseen in a century are unfolding at an accelerated pace today’

“Global governance based on the principles of multipolarity is facing serious challenges”

At the beginning of September this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping solemnly put forward the Global Governance Initiative at the Tianjin SCO+ summit, expressing his readiness to work with all countries to promote the establishment of a fairer and more reasonable system of global governance, and to jointly advance towards building a community with a shared future for humankind. Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately voiced his support, noting that the Global Governance Initiative had been proposed in a timely manner.

Eighty years ago, the Great Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War contributed to the formation of an international system with the United Nations at its core, an international order based on the norms of international law, and the fundamental principles of international relations grounded in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. These concepts and practices of global governance made a historic contribution to maintaining peace and development worldwide.

Today, eighty years later, profound changes unseen in a century are unfolding at an accelerated pace, and the world is entering a new period of turbulence and transformation. There is a rise in anti-globalisation sentiment, the spread of unilateral approaches, and a revival of the law of the jungle. Global governance, based on the principles of multipolarity, is facing serious challenges, while the effectiveness of multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations is weakening. The collective rise of the Global South is underway, and calls for peace, development, cooperation, and an equal voice are growing louder. The inadequacy and imbalance of the global governance system are becoming increasingly evident.

“All countries have equal rights to participate in international affairs”

Against this backdrop, the question of what kind of global governance system should be built, how it should be reformed and improved, is becoming an increasingly pressing issue of concern for the international community. President Xi Jinping has solemnly put forward the Global Governance Initiative to present Chinese wisdom and propose Chinese solutions for strengthening and improving global governance.

The key principles of the Global Governance Initiative are as follows: upholding sovereign equality, observing the supremacy of international law, practising multilateralism, adhering to a people-centred approach, and maintaining a focus on action. These five principles clarify the guiding ideas, methods, and pathways that should be followed in reforming and improving global governance.

Sovereign equality is the primary prerequisite for global governance. All countries, regardless of size, strength, wealth, or poverty, have equal rights to participate in international affairs. The unequal situation in which certain countries monopolise global governance must not continue.

The supremacy of international law is the fundamental guarantee of global governance. International law and international rules are a shared standard that must be jointly developed, upheld, and implemented by all countries, without exception.

Multilateralism is the main path to global governance. Global governance is everyone’s business; it concerns the immediate interests of every nation and must be based on coordination and cooperation, not on unilateral acts of coercion.

A people-centred approach represents the value orientation of global governance. Ultimately, global governance is about realising the aspirations of all peoples for a better life and jointly building a world where everyone can enjoy prosperity and well-being.

“China stands ready to work together with Russia to explore ways to reform and improve global governance”

A focus on action is an essential principle of global governance. The vitality of global governance stems from practice, its essence lies in action, and its success depends on results. It is necessary to address urgent issues of concern to all countries — especially developing ones — based on both current and long-term needs.

It should be emphasised that reforming and improving global governance does not mean completely abandoning the existing international order or creating something entirely new outside the current system. Rather, it involves enhancing the implementation capacity and efficiency of existing international systems and mechanisms so that they can respond more promptly and effectively to various global challenges.

The Global Governance Initiative is another major proposal from China, following the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilisation Initiative. These four global initiatives have different focuses but complement one another. Together, they inject more positive energy into a world intertwined with change and disorder, across four dimensions — development, security, civilisation, and governance.

China and Russia are founding members and permanent members of the UN Security Council. The two countries share similar or identical positions on key issues such as safeguarding the post-war international order, promoting a multipolar world, and advancing the democratisation of international relations. The Chinese side stands ready to work together with Russia to explore ways to reform and improve global governance, to promote the implementation of the Global Governance Initiative, and to contribute the joint Chinese-Russian effort to building a fairer and more reasonable international order and a community with a shared future for humankind.