By Wang Xinping, Gong Ming, Jiang Bo, Liu Lingling, People’s Daily
As unilateralism, protectionism, and hegemonism continue to gain ground, geopolitical conflicts flare up in different parts of the world and global challenges keep emerging, the international community is increasingly asking an urgent question: Where is global governance headed?
A year ago, at a pivotal historical juncture marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the UN, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) at the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus” Meeting in Tianjin. The initiative offered a Chinese solution to the two pressing questions of the era: what kind of global governance system should be established, and how global governance can be reformed and improved.
Over the past year, the GGI has evolved from a Chinese proposal into international practice, increasingly demonstrating its vitality and appeal.
The GGI has been included in joint statements issued by China and countries including Cuba, Canada, Uruguay, Vietnam, Russia, and Serbia. Nearly 160 countries and international organizations have welcomed and supported it, while more than 60 countries have joined the Group of Friends of Global Governance, creating an important multilateral platform for putting the initiative into practice.
China has also released the Concept Paper on the GGI and the white paper titled “More Just and Equitable Global Governance: China’s Principles, Proposals and Actions”, elaborating on China’s vision, goals, and practical actions for global governance and building broader international consensus.
Why has such broad consensus emerged? The key lies in the GGI’s five core concepts: sovereign equality, the international rule of law, multilateralism, a people-centered approach, and real actions. These principles uphold fairness and justice in deciding who governs, respond to the fundamental question of whom governance should serve, and demonstrate a pragmatic approach to how governance should be carried out.
Following the principle that world affairs should be handled through extensive consultation, the Group of Friends of Global Governance has been established in New York, Geneva, and Vienna. Its members have held intensive consultations on major issues, including UN reform, opposition to unilateral sanctions, improving dispute settlement mechanisms, and digital and climate governance. They have also voiced common positions in multilateral settings at the UN and reached a series of consensus agreements.
The GGI puts people’s well-being at the center of global governance, taking the real concerns of people in different countries as the starting point for reform and ensuring that the people of every nation are the actors in and beneficiaries of global governance.
To address the challenge of poverty reduction, China, in collaboration with 53 countries and nine international organizations, jointly launched the Global Partnership for Poverty Alleviation and Development, turning China’s experience in poverty reduction into global public good.
The GGI also emphasizes concrete action and problem-solving. China has led by example, coordinating global efforts, mobilizing resources from various stakeholders, and actively advancing practical outcomes under the initiative.
The International Organization for Mediation has begun operations in Hong Kong. China has proposed the establishment of an International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations to promote good governance through civilizational harmony. The World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization has been established, and China has announced a series of measures to further support global AI development and advance global AI capacity-building.
Top-level design, institutional innovation, and concrete action together demonstrate China’s commitment to improving global governance through practical efforts.
An era of great development is also one of profound transformation. The global governance system must evolve with the times.
Looking to the present, China seeks to address governance gaps through development.
To implement the GGI, it is essential to firmly uphold the international system with the UN at its core, safeguard the international order based on international law, and uphold the basic norms governing international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. We should effectively implement the UN80 Initiative, improve the quality and efficiency of the UN, and enhance the authority and capacity of the UN Security Council.
Looking to the future, China seeks to respond to the call of the times with a forward-looking vision.
In response to new challenges in emerging areas, China has actively provided international public goods and explored innovative governance mechanisms.
For example, it led the effort to establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund, promoting global biodiversity governance. Through South-South cooperation, China has helped other developing countries strengthen their capacity to address climate change and has promoted the establishment of a fair, equitable, cooperative, and mutually beneficial global climate governance system.
China has also proposed the Global Initiative on Data Security and the Global Cross-Border Data Flow Cooperation Initiative, supported the establishment of the World Data Organization in Beijing, and worked with other countries to build a community with a shared future in cyberspace.
The year 2026 marks three important milestones: the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the 55th anniversary of the restoration of the People’s Republic of China’s lawful seat in the UN, and the first year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030).
The 15th Five-Year Plan outline calls for actively participating in and leading global economic governance, promoting the building of a new type of international relations and providing more international public goods. This autumn, China will host a forum on global governance in the Xiong’an New Area in north China’s Hebei Province, bringing together all parties to discuss ways to reform and improve global governance.
Guided by the goal of building a community with a shared future for humanity, China will continue to champion multilateralism, uphold justice and shoulder its responsibilities. It will work to translate the GGI into concrete outcomes and steadily make global governance more just and equitable, injecting valuable stability and positive energy into a turbulent world.
