Vanguard of the world’s majority

The CPC can take pride in its 105-year legacy in helping reform global governance in the interest of inclusivity and fairness

The birth of the Communist Party of China in 1921 was a timely, historically necessary response to a nation then languishing under the miserable subjugation, intimidation and sovereign butchery perpetrated by the foreign imperialist powers. From its very inception, the CPC’s revolutionary trajectory has been indissolubly intertwined with the well-being of the Chinese people and the future of the nation, remaining firmly rooted in the popular interests it vows to represent.

The founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 — forged through the blood, toil, tears and sweat of the CPC — marked the tectonic emergence of a transformed China on the world stage. Crucially, the dire, immediate necessity of rebuilding an impoverished, war-torn nation did not deter the young administration from proactively partaking in the formulation of the Ten Principles of the Bandung Conference. These principles laid the indispensable foundations for the Non-Aligned Movement during the height of the Cold War. By steadfastly standing alongside the developing world, the CPC chose the right side of history. This unwavering alignment has long resonated with the deepest aspirations of the global majority. Today, China’s consistent, unyielding commitment to the United Nations Charter continues to rekindle global hopes for promoting a fairer, more just and inclusive international order.

In resisting hegemony, China, under the visionary stewardship of the CPC, has consistently been recognized as a steadfast flag-bearer for the vulnerable and the oppressed. The high-profile commemorations hosted by Beijing in 2025 — marking the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference and the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War — stood as profound testaments to the Chinese commitment to preserving global peace and multilateralism under the institutional framework of the UN Charter.

Furthermore, the strategic rollout of China-initiated global frameworks demonstrates Beijing’s readiness to assume greater institutional responsibilities in contemporary global governance. This sophisticated suite of doctrines — spanning the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative — forms a comprehensive, mutually reinforcing architecture. Together, they constitute pragmatic Chinese solutions grounded in international law to pressing systemic challenges, all of which are inextricably linked to the preservation of sustainable peace and collective order.

The Global Development Initiative, launched in 2021, strategically centers on sustainable development, encompassing vital pillars such as poverty alleviation, climate finance and digital connectivity, thereby aligning seamlessly with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China’s monumental achievement in lifting 800 million people out of abject poverty over the past several decades stands as an undeniable testament to the CPC’s ideological commitment to emancipating its people from destitution. Eradicating extreme poverty 10 years ahead of the UN schedule is an inspirational feat that serves as a blueprint for others to learn from.

To the Global South, which has long chafed under traditional, donor-driven conditionalities imposed by the Global North, the Global Development Initiative offers an alternative paradigm: practical, demand-driven and horizontally integrated cooperation, backed by dedicated mechanisms such as the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund. A concrete manifestation of this cooperative spirit is the sustainable development center in Shanghai, established in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The Global Security Initiative, launched in 2022 and endorsed by over 130 countries and regions as well as international organizations, champions the doctrine of indivisible security — asserting that no state should unilaterally enhance its own security at the expense of others’ legitimate concerns. Rejecting the imperialist playbook of deploying troops or establishing coercive military alliances on foreign soil, China has focused on capacity building, notably planning 1,700 training opportunities for security governance personnel globally in 2025. Bilaterally and regionally, this vision is mainstreamed through platforms such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which unites China with 53 African nations and the African Union Commission.

This year also marks the third anniversary of the Global Civilization Initiative. Focusing on robust civilizational dialogue, the initiative has been pivotal in restoring cultural confidence across the developing world. By flatly rejecting assertions of cultural superiority, it successfully debunks the West-centric myth that Westernization represents the singular path to modernization.

Ultimately, the CPC has proved its vigor in evolving from a grassroots-based revolutionary party into a force of governance that remains highly innovation-relevant in changing times. Formed as an important pillar to implement the concepts in China’s Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Action Plan, the World AI Cooperation Organization is well-poised to coordinate international AI regulation, foster inclusive technological development, and decisively bridge the digital and intelligence gaps that threaten to leave the Global South behind.

From the Chinese perspective, the core issue of our era is not technological competition within a framework of zero-sum rivalry; rather, it is how the global majority can harness innovation to improve productivity, expand human opportunity and strengthen collective competitiveness. Plainly put, the CPC’s modern statecraft remains anchored in the structural interests of the global majority — aligning its future trajectory with the very ideals that defined its inception 105 years ago.

The author is the president of the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific. Some of the views in this article are drawn from the author’s speech at the 2026 Think Tank Forum on National Governance in Developing Countries.

The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.