World's future lies in multipolarization and multilateralism

Editor's note: Azhar Azam, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, works for a private organization as a market and business analyst. He writes on geopolitical affairs and regional conflicts. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

In his keynote address at the "China in the World" event of the 61st Munich Security Conference, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China's answer to the question whether multipolarity will bring chaos, conflict and confrontation as well as domination by major countries and the strong bullying the weak, is, "We should work for an equal and orderly multipolar world," abide by the UN Charter and respect international rule of law without double standard. It is important to practice multilateralism and pursue openness and mutual benefit.

As political and economic liberalism, which shaped the post-World War II era marked by U.S. hegemony, continues to crumble under the rise of national populism in many Western democracies, Wang's emphasis on pursuing cooperation and pledge that China will be a steadfast constructive force offers valuable insights on tackling common world challenges.

The developing nations in the Global South widely consider Washington as incapable of tackling global challenges and major conflicts due to the double standard it displays when it comes to applying equal norms of accountability to all. And they are justified, given that America, which contravened international law and the UN Charter repeatedly in the past, is now trying to breach Ukraine's territorial integrity – just as it did in Iraq in 2003 – to suit its own interests.

China is regarded as the "most prominent and powerful" advocate of a multipolar order. Beijing's principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other sovereign countries and respect for the diversity of civilizations have been well-received internationally. However, the West fears it is rallying the Global South's support to reform the global order in order to replace the dominance of Western developed nations with its own.

China is a strong advocate of peaceful resolution of conflicts and disputes and when facilitating talks between rival countries has also ensured that the hard-won peace is sustained. For instance, after brokering the historic rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2023 that sparked a wave of reconciliation in the Middle East, it is now ensuring implementation of the China-Iran-Saudi Arabia Beijing Agreement.

It was a notable achievement of the Beijing-proposed Global Security Initiative, which underlines respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, promotes true multilateralism, and calls on major nations to uphold the authority of the UN and its status as the main platform for global security governance.

U.S. President Donald Trump's talk about buying Greenland from Denmark and the Panama Canal and making Canada America's 51st state is making political analysts perceive Washington as not "an anchor of stability, but rather a risk to be hedged against." His  announcement of "buying and owning Gaza" and displacing Gazans has strengthened that perception. The mentality of seeing the world as U.S. property will have serious implications for global security, setting a dangerous precedent for others to annex the territories of smaller, weaker states.

The perception in the past that America upholds global stability by leading a rules-based international order changed gradually as American interventions generated "more ill will than goodwill" in many parts of the world, becoming a symbol of hypocritical posturing and double standard. Washington's weaponization of the concept against its geopolitical rivals and repeated violations of international law have bolstered this impression.

The notion of a rule-based international order is losing credibility with the U.S. seeking to construct a bloc of like-minded states with the objective of imposing its will on the rest of the world.

The prospect of a multipolar world is far from appetizing to a unilateralist power tending to fuel conflicts and tensions, shunning channels of economic and peace dialogues, and following protectionist and imperialist policies. These actions have weakened global institutions and deprived developing nations of their rights.

In a polycentric system, based on the UN Charter and international law, regional powers have the opportunity to become leading geopolitical actors. Wang's suggestion is that equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules should become the basic principles of a multipolar world. That will democratize international relations and incorporate the Global South into international bodies, giving more economic and strategic stability to a turbulent world.

Unilateralism has failed to develop a common approach to global problems, undermining international cooperation even in areas of shared interests. Multilateralism holds the potential to maintain peace in the world, improve the quality of people's lives and resolve global challenges such as climate change and health crisis.

Multilateralism encompasses inclusivity, equality and cooperation and fostering a more prosperous, secure and sustainable world and is the world's future, as indicated in the Munich Security Report 2025.

China's commitment to a multipolar world and multilateralism isn't aimed at displacing America; it simply seeks to empower the developing nations too so that they can assume greater responsibility internationally. China's intention is to develop broad cooperation between developing and developed countries, including the U.S., and to combat real challenges such as conflicts, economic regression and climate change that threaten international stability and the very existence of mankind.

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