Xiong'an Vision charts global governance goals

Released on Sunday at the close of the 2026 Global Governance Forum (Xiong'an), a document titled Global Governance: Xiong'an Vision (2026) called for strengthening the United Nations, giving the Global South a greater say in international affairs and translating the principles of China's Global Governance Initiative into collective action.

Describing multilateralism as the only viable way to address the global governance deficit, the vision called for safeguarding the UN's central role, improving its effectiveness and enabling Global South countries to participate more fully in international rulemaking, agenda setting and decision-making.

It also urged countries to make development a global priority. On artificial intelligence, it called for the UN to serve as a central platform for global governance, with all countries able to participate effectively, share technical expertise and address the technology's risks.

The three-day forum in Xiong'an New Area, Hebei province, brought together representatives from 97 countries and international organizations.

It established an international advisory committee, released research reports and launched cooperation projects, including the Global South Joint Research Network on Economic and Trade Governance and an International Media Dialogue Mechanism for the Global Governance Initiative.

In an interview during the forum, Guy Ryder, the UN under-secretary-general for policy, said the organization needed to adapt as new challenges emerged while remaining faithful to the UN Charter.

"The United Nations needs to change as the world changes as well," he said. Ryder cited AI as one issue requiring new approaches. He also said the world was well off track in meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and that China's role in advancing global development would be critical.

Stanley Kasongo Kakubo, a former Zambian foreign minister, said the GGI's emphasis on fairness and respect for international rules was especially significant for countries in the Global South.

He said consistent adherence to agreed rules would give countries greater certainty, helping them build trust and pursue development partnerships. Kakubo also called for a stronger Chinese role in encouraging dialogue and helping resolve conflicts in Africa and other regions.

Making tech accessible

On AI, Andrea Renda, director of research at the Centre for European Policy Studies, said Chinese open-weight AI models could make the technology more accessible to developing countries because they can be adapted without the cost of building a model from scratch.

Access to models alone would not be enough, he said. Developing countries also need industrial capacity to use AI in ways that have created value at home.

China's approach to global AI cooperation should help them be "empowered by AI rather than simply being users and consumers" of models developed by others, Renda said.

Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of Kazakhstan's China Studies Centre, said the principles of the GGI would ultimately be tested by whether they could be translated into practical mechanisms.

She cited the International Organization for Mediation as an example of an approach that seeks to resolve disputes through voluntary agreement rather than determine which side is right or wrong.

New mechanisms should earn trust, allow countries of different sizes to participate and produce results that benefit more than just major powers, she said.

At a closing news conference on Sunday, Wu Ken, president of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, said the forum had helped accelerate the translation of the GGI's core principles from consensus into action.

According to an incomplete tally cited by Wu, Chinese and foreign participants put forward more than 450 proposals for reforming and improving global governance during the forum.

zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn