Initiative draws swift support across globe

The Global Governance Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" Meeting in Tianjin on Sept 1 has won quick support from world leaders, and has been hailed by experts as a key Chinese contribution to fairer global governance amid geopolitical shifts.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro told reporters on Sept 1 that he would sign an official document to join the initiative.

He praised the initiative as seeking "peace, development, a shared future and global harmony", and he highlighted the importance of a global order without "threats, blackmail or supremacy".

When unveiling the five points of the initiative's core concepts at the "SCO Plus" Meeting, Xi emphasized "adhering to sovereign equality", "abiding by international rule of law", "practicing multilateralism", "advocating the people-centered approach" and "focusing on taking real actions".

Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and of the founding of the United Nations, Xi said that 80 years later, the world has found itself in a new period of turbulence and transformation, and "global governance has come to a new crossroads".

The Concept Paper on the Global Governance Initiative released by the Foreign Ministry said that China proposed the initiative "to promote the building of a more just and equitable global governance system and work together for a community with a shared future for humanity".

When addressing the media on Sept 1, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the five points of the initiative's core concepts point to global governance's primary precondition, fundamental guarantee, basic pathway, value orientation and important principle.

"The unequal situation in which just a few countries monopolize global governance should no longer continue," Wang said, adding that global governance "should rely on coordination and cooperation, not unilateral bullying".

He stressed the need to translate people's aspirations for a better life into reality and "solve practical problems of concern among various countries, especially developing countries".

Xu Bu, former president of the China Institute of International Studies, said the Global Governance Initiative serves as "an important part of — and a major step forward in the development of — Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy".

"Currently, the international community is undergoing systemic changes and reform, and the competition among major countries is on the rise. The initiative proposed by Xi provides guidance for addressing global issues," Xu told a symposium in Beijing on Tuesday.

The initiative is the fourth in a series of global initiatives proposed by Xi in recent years, following the Global Development Initiative in 2021, the Global Security Initiative in 2022 and the Global Civilization Initiative in 2023.

Fu Xiaoqiang, president of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said the Global Governance Initiative "marks another major international public good provided by China to the global community".

The initiative also comes at an appropriate time, as it coincides with the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War as well as the founding of the UN in 1945, Fu said, adding that it also represents Chinese solutions and Chinese wisdom for perfecting global governance, and "its global significance and great value surely will ensue in this evolving era".

Tian Dewen, deputy director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, said the four global initiatives "complement each other" and "serve as a reminder of China's systematic thinking in the new era about championing and reforming the world order".

"China has been consistently committed to translating its proposals into concrete, tangible public goods. The Global Development Initiative has made possible thousands of international cooperation projects, and the Global Security Initiative witnessed how Beijing promoted peace talks, such as facilitating the Saudi Arabia-Iran reconciliation," he said.

The Global Governance Initiative's concept paper said that, going forward, Beijing will remain open-minded and inclusive and "adhere to the principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit".

It will "leverage the platforms provided by the UN, relevant international organizations, and regional and subregional multilateral institutions", the paper said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the Global Governance Initiative when attending the SCO events in Tianjin.

The initiative "is anchored in multilateralism and underscores the importance of safeguarding the international system with the UN at its core and the international order underpinned by international law", he said.

He noted that emerging economies are reshaping trade, diplomacy and development, while injustice and divisions are widening in the world, and he said countries must strengthen international cooperation for the 21st century and always put people first.

Sun Jisheng, vice-president of China Foreign Affairs University, said the Global Governance Initiative "points to the factors behind the current dilemma of global governance".

It will help by "directing a lasting focus on global governance when it comes to various international agendas", she added.