By He Yin, People’s Daily
On Sept. 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Plus” Meeting in Tianjin, during which he proposed the Global Governance Initiative (GGI).
Following the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and the Global Civilizations Initiative (GCI), the GGI represents another major international public good contributed by China.
The GGI represents a fresh vision for guiding the evolution of global governance. It calls for reforming and improving the global governance system so that the international community can better share development opportunities, tackle common challenges, build a more just and equitable global governance system, and advance toward a community with a shared future for humanity.
The initiative follows five principles – adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating the people-centered approach, and focusing on taking real actions.
It upholds the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, highlighting China’s commitment to aligning national interests with the common good of the international community and to practicing multilateralism through concrete actions. It also demonstrates China’s sense of responsibility as a major country.
The GGI responds to the urgent imperatives of the times, serving as both a valuable supplement to and an innovation and improvement of the existing global governance system. Looking back, global governance emerged alongside the establishment and evolution of the international system, and it must continue to adapt dynamically in response to shifts in the international landscape and global circumstances.
Today, the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, with rapid development of emerging markets and developing countries, which is reshaping the global balance of power. Yet their representation and voice remain insufficient in existing governance structures. Meanwhile, the international environment is beset by turbulence and uncertainty. Power politics and bullying practices are undermining multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, while global challenges grow increasingly complex and interconnected. No single country or region can face these global threats alone.
Against the backdrop of shifting international dynamics and mounting global challenges, reforming and improving the global governance system through broad consultation and consensus-building to reflect the collective rise of developing countries in today’s political landscape has become an essential step to address governance deficits.
The GGI champions multilateralism, adopts a people-centered approach, and emphasizes concrete actions. It seeks to strengthen the effectiveness and execution capacity of the global governance system, better respond to global challenges, serve the interests of all countries, particularly developing ones, narrow the North-South development gap, and better safeguard the common interests of the international community.
As a responsible major country, China remains committed to practicing true multilateralism. It is committed to safeguarding world peace, contributing to global development, defending the international order, and providing global public goods. In the new era, Xi has consistently responded to global expectations with a forward-looking vision. He has advocated the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, launched the GDI, GSI, and GCI, carried forward the common values of humanity, and introduced a series of transformative initiatives. Together, these efforts have opened a new chapter for multilateralism and a new horizon for international relations.
The GGI clarifies the principles, methods, and pathways for reforming global governance. It responds to the call of the Global South for peace, development, and cooperation, while addressing the urgent need for fairer governance and historical justice. By forging broader international consensus, it aims to drive progress toward a more equitable and inclusive global governance system, paving the way for a future of peace, security, prosperity, and progress.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations. History demonstrates that multilateralism and solidarity are the right answers to global challenges. China stands ready to work with all parties to implement the GGI, promote a more just and equitable global governance system, and deliver greater benefits to the entire humanity through the reform of the global governance system and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
