China-led multilateralism helps global governance reform & development

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With global challenges including security disorders, developmental imbalances and governance failures intensifying in the past years, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the concept of "true multilateralism" during the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in April 2021. This has since become an essential approach to address current issues and improve global governance.

China continues to advocate true multilateralism, ready to work with all to build a community with a shared future for humankind.

Pseudo-multilateralism

Since the end of the Cold War, new multilateral mechanisms such as the G20 and APEC have demonstrated considerable coordination and mobilization capabilities.

However, in an effort to preserve its global hegemony, the United States has contravened global trends by pursuing isolationism, conservatism and unilateralism, engaging in an exclusionary "small circle" diplomacy characterized by a "small yard, high fence" strategy.

Washington has been enthusiastic in forging exclusive blocs in recent years – the so-called "Alliances of Democracies" aimed at excluding China, the "Five Eyes Alliance" of Anglosphere intelligence agencies under the framework of the "Indo-Pacific Strategy," the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with Japan, India, and Australia, and the AUKUS security partnership while bringing Japan into the fold, to name but a few.

Withdrawing from a slew of multilateral pacts and global organizations including the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, the Paris climate accord, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the UNESCO, the UN Human Rights Council and the Universal Postal Union, and attempting to quit the World Health Organization, the U.S. is repeatedly challenging international cooperation mechanisms.

Additionally, the White House has kept up trade barriers against not only countries it deems as rivals, but also its allies, including Canada, European countries and those in the Asia-Pacific.

All this points to one fact – the U.S., while shouting multilateralism, is becoming increasingly inclined to unilateralism. "When we say that the system is becoming more protectionist, it is because of the United States," U.S. economist Jeffrey Sachs said.

China's response

While the U.S. is increasingly looking inward, China has been looking outward.

In the past year, Xi undertook important visits to Europe, Central Asia, Africa and Latin America, engaging in a series of multilateral events including the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the BRICS summit, the G20 summit and the APEC leaders' informal dialogue. China has remained steadfast in upholding multilateralism, promoting a new form of international relations characterized by mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, and striving to unite the international community to address various global challenges collectively.

For instance, at the G20 Leaders' Summit in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro in November, Xi articulated China's comprehensive vision of global governance and proposed advancing global governance across five dimensions – economic, financial, trade, digital, and ecological.

Under this context, China and Brazil announced their commitment to "jointly building a more just world and a more sustainable planet," underscoring the responsibilities of emerging powers. China has shown its goodwill to Peru in a tangible way, helping build the Chancay Port. It began operations in November, positioning Peru as a new hub in Latin America's supply chain and a gateway to the Pacific.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) estimates that for every 1 percent growth in China's economy, the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean see a 0.5 percent boost. Cooperation with China has become a crucial stabilizer for the region's economy.

In addition, Serbia this year became the first European country to commit to build a community with a shared future with China. China will import more high-quality agricultural products from Serbia and invite 300 young Serbians for study and exchange programs in the next three years. "Serbia and China are firmly bound by mutual support and understanding for key state and national interests," Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric said in a written interview with Xinhua.

Apart from participation in multilateral events, China, in response to the proliferation of pseudo-multilateralist activities, has led and participated in the establishment of new multilateral dialogue mechanisms and platforms that align with its development interests and security needs, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), BRICS and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Take BRICS as an example. Spearheaded by China and other major developing economies, it is committed to sustainable economic growth and the enhancement of global governance through multilateralism.

This vision has gained momentum with BRICS' expansion in 2024 to include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Iran, and Ethiopia, bringing the bloc's membership to 10 nations. The expanded BRICS now accounts for nearly half the global population, a fifth of global trade, and an economic output exceeding that of the G7 in purchasing power parity.

Additionally, this year's FOCAC in Beijing – the largest diplomatic event China has hosted in recent years with the highest attendance of foreign leaders – unanimously adopted the Declaration and the Action Plan to strengthen cooperation between China and Africa over the next three years. It sends a strong message of China-Africa collaboration to reform the global governance system and give momentum to global modernization.

More notably, Chinese and African leaders agreed to forge an all-weather community with a shared future for the new era, the first one proposed at a regional level. This reflects the shared aspiration of over 2.8 billion people in China and Africa to stand together through trials and challenges and to remain good partners on the path of development and revitalization. "In conducting cooperation with Africa, we stress the importance of real results," Xi said.

China's concept of true multilateralism

True multilateralism means adhering to the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. It means safeguarding the international system with the United Nations at its core, establishing multilateral mechanisms aligned with contemporary global trends, and providing high-quality global public goods. Last but not least, it means steering the global governance system toward greater equity and justice.

For this, China has put forward the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI).

The GDI, proposed in 2021, has garnered the support of over 100 countries and international organizations, with more than 80 countries joining the United Nations' "Group of Friends of the GDI." Dennis Francis, immediate past president of the UN General Assembly, has said the GDI's objectives align seamlessly with the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and has significant potential to benefit nations worldwide.

The GSI, proposed in 2022 and supported by over 100 countries and regional organizations, has been integrated into various bilateral and multilateral documents between China and its international partners. Notable contributions under this framework include China's policy papers on the Ukraine crisis, the Afghanistan issue, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, as well as the Global Data Security Initiative and the Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Initiative. These efforts reflect China's proactive role in addressing complex global security challenges with innovative proposals.

Xi proposed the GCI in 2023. Its core principles include promoting respect for the diversity of civilizations, upholding shared human values, preserving cultural heritage through innovation, and strengthening international cultural exchanges.

In June 2024, the 78th United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted China's proposal to establish an "International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations," designating June 10 for its annual observance. This resolution received enthusiastic support from the international community, underscoring the alignment of the GCI with contemporary global trends and needs.

These significant diplomatic engagements and unequivocal statements on international affairs reaffirm China's unwavering support for UN affairs and its commitment to practicing true multilateralism.

China has been actively building world peace, contributing to global development, maintaining international order and providing public goods. It is also dedicated to reforming the global governance system.

A steadfast advocate of multilateralism, China remains committed to its path of reform and opening up, while integrating with the existing international system and reforming the global governance system. Through these efforts, China has reaffirmed its commitment to global peace and stability, and a new form of international relations characterized by mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation.

The author Xin Ge is a research fellow at the Institute of Public Policy and Governance, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE), and a chair associate professor at the School of Public Economics and Administration, SUFE.

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