China's push for multilateralism, fair global governance integral as the G20 draws near

The 2025 G20 Summit in South Africa on November 22 and 23 comes amid rising protectionist and unilateral pressures worldwide, underscoring the significance of China's push for multilateralism, fair global governance reform, and stronger support for developing nations.

At the heart of China's G20 diplomacy is its steadfast commitment to a multilateral order anchored on the United Nations. Chinese officials have repeatedly criticized protectionist policies and "decoupling," warning against the fragmentation of global supply chains. Foreign Minister Wang Yi has stressed that a multipolar world should be one where all countries develop together, noting that "decoupling and severing supply chains" cuts off opportunities, while "building small yards with high fences" only isolates oneself.

China's push for free trade and stability in global value chains has been matched by its concrete contributions. It argues that trade barriers adopted by some economies not only undermine growth but also risk fragmenting international cooperation. Against that backdrop, China's implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and its Belt and Road Initiative speaks to its commitment to an open world economy.

More than just rhetoric, China is advocating systematic reform of global governance institutions. After introducing three major global initiatives: the Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI), and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) in recent years, Beijing launched the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) this year, offering structured proposals for fairer rules and a more inclusive international system.

The GDI focuses on cooperative economic projects, the GSI on dialogue for discarding conflicts, and the GCI on exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, Robert Lawrence Kuhn, a U.S. expert on China and chairman of the Kuhn Foundation, told CGTN. "But it is the GGI that most clearly states how China believes our turbulent world should be run and how China sees its role in doing so."

The concept paper of the GGI has identified three major weaknesses in today's international system: the Global South remains underrepresented; unilateral actions from major powers have eroded the authority of multilateral institutions; and effectiveness is lagging, with many UN development goals off track and governance gaps in new domains such as AI, cyberspace and outer space.

As calls grow for reforming the global governance system, observers say there is an urgent need to update and improve the current framework.

China's participation in global governance is driven not only by its own interests but also by a desire to change the current imbalance of "governance without fairness" and "fairness without influence," Wang Yiwei, director of the Center for European Studies at Renmin University of China, wrote in an op-ed published on Chinanews.com.

The former refers to a system dominated by developed countries that sidelines developing nations; the latter describes how developing countries may have sound ideas but lack the power to make them count, Wang added.

China is not just promoting ideas; it is backing them with action. Under its GDI, it has established a $4 billion Global Development and South–South Cooperation Fund and launched a third phase of its China–UN FAO South–South Cooperation Trust Fund. It has also carried out more than 130 development projects across nearly 60 countries in areas such as poverty alleviation, food security, pandemic response, and climate resilience, benefiting more than 30 million people.

Through its GSI, it continues promoting cooperation on non-traditional security challenges, including food security and biosecurity, and has offered disaster-mitigation support abroad.

Cultural engagement also features in China's global governance blueprint. Through its GCI, Beijing advocates respect for civilizational diversity, shared human values, and enhanced people-to-people exchanges.

China's messaging on the global stage reflects a broader strategic ambition: to chart a globally cooperative, inclusive order at a time when geopolitical fractures are deepening. Whether through multilateral forums or capacity-building projects, China is pushing hard to translate its governance vision into real-world building blocks and is calling on the G20 to join it in making reform more than just an aspiration.