Wu Zhicheng: Resolutely Upholding the Post-War International Order
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. Eighty years ago, the righteous forces of the entire world, filled with shared bitter hatred [1] and fighting heroically, stood shoulder to shoulder to defeat the overweening fascist powers, making a historic contribution to the preservation of world peace and the cause of human progress. Today, eighty years later, unilateralism and acts of hegemony, dominance, and bullying [2] cause profound harm; humanity once again stands at a crossroads between unity or division, dialogue or confrontation, and win-win cooperation or zero-sum games. On May 7, President Xi Jinping published a signed article in Rossiyskaya Gazeta titled "Taking History as a Mirror to Jointly Create the Future." The article pointed out that the more the international situation is intertwined with change and disorder, the more we must persist in and maintain the authority of the UN, firmly uphold the international system with the UN at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. We must continuously promote equal and orderly world multipolarity and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. President Xi Jinping’s important discourse carries major and far-reaching historical significance for leading the world’s nations to persist in and promote a correct historical view of World War II, jointly maintain the post-war international order, firmly defend international fairness and justice, and promote the reform of the global governance system.
1. The historical evidence and legal foundation of the post-war international order are beyond doubt
The current international order is a complete set of international rules and guarantee mechanisms established after World War II. It was built upon the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, with world nations having drawn bitter lessons from the tragic experience of two world wars in the 20th century, and with the fundamental goals of maintaining world peace and promoting common development and universal human rights. Around the end of World War II, the most important decision made by the international community was the establishment of the United Nations. The drafting of the UN Charter laid the cornerstone of the modern international order and established the basic norms governing contemporary international relations. China and the Soviet Union, as the main battlefields in Asia and Europe respectively, were the mainstays [3] in the resistance against Japanese militarism and German Nazism, making decisive contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. China and the Soviet Union were the first to sign the UN Charter; the permanent member status of both countries on the UN Security Council was formed by history and forged by the magnificent achievements of their peoples in the anti-fascist war. Those plots to distort the truth of World War II history, negate the fruits of the victory, or smear the historical merits of China and the Soviet Union violate a correct historical view for humanity. They also act against the tide of history and cannot succeed.
The post-war international order possesses a solid legal foundation, built upon the consensus formed through a series of declarations by the Allied Powers against the Axis Powers, international legal documents, international conferences, and the results of international tribunal trials. Two documents—the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation—determined the basic framework of the post-war international order and protected China's historical rights. The Tokyo Trial, together with the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, laid the foundation for the post-war international order in Asia. The Nuremberg trials liquidated the war crimes of German and Italian fascism. The International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg and the International Military Tribunal for the Far East nailed the war criminals to the pillar of historical shame [4] forever. The righteous nature, historical value, and contemporary significance of these two great trials are unshakable. The Yalta System, established through multiple talks and a series of agreements between the primary leaders of the Anti-Fascist Alliance, constructed a new structure for the international order dominated by five major powers: the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, China, and France.
2. The profound and clear connotations of the post-war international political and economic order
Politically, the post-war international order manifests primarily as the international system with the UN at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. In 1945, China and the United States jointly participated in initiating the San Francisco Conference to draft the Charter, promoting the establishment of the United Nations. The conference unanimously passed the UN Charter, sketching a grand blueprint for the "peoples of the United Nations" to work together to build a better world. Because the UN Charter provides important guidance for the construction and operation of the post-war international order, the primary task in maintaining the current international order is to persist in the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. In accordance with the UN Charter, the United Nations has effectively maintained overall world peace for a relatively long period over the eighty years since the war, while also promoting global economic and social development and the significant progress of human civilization.
Economically, the post-war international order manifests primarily as the international economic order with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (now the World Trade Organization, WTO) at its core. These three organizations together constitute the three pillars regulating the world economy, finance, and trade in the post-war period, playing a positive role in the recovery and development of the world economy. Although the IMF, World Bank, and WTO face many problems, they have objectively promoted world economic development and the process of economic globalization. Currently, global trade is facing challenges from unilateral tariff barriers and increased uncertainty; the international community should firmly uphold the rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core.
The core concept of the current international system and order is multilateralism. The establishment of the United Nations marked an important beginning for multilateralism. In the 1950s and 60s, countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America launched movements against imperialism and colonialism to strive for and maintain national independence. A large number of developing countries gained independence and joined the UN, effectively promoting the development and progress of multilateralism. The restoration of China’s lawful seat in the United Nations [5] carries great historical significance for the development of multilateralism; the justice, progressiveness, and people-centered nature of multilateralism have been continuously strengthened. History and reality prove that when multilateralism is practiced well, the common problems facing humanity are solved more effectively. International rules should be rules commonly recognized by all countries in the world, and should not be formulated by a few. Cooperation between states should aim to serve all of humanity and should not seek world hegemony through small-group politics. Maintaining the purposes and principles of the UN Charter requires persisting in and practicing multilateralism, advocating that international affairs be settled through consultation among all, and promoting the development of the international order and system in a more just and reasonable direction.
3. The contemporary value of maintaining the post-war international order
Currently, as the changes unseen in a century accelerate their evolution, unilateralism and protectionism are significantly on the rise. Certain individual countries and their allies utilize unilateral illegal restrictive measures—such as trade and financial restrictions—to announce the reckless imposition of tariffs and the abuse of export controls against trading partners under various pretexts. They even bypass the UN Security Council to implement illegal unilateral bullying and protectionist measures that violate the UN Charter and international law, obstruct justice, and exert severe negative impacts on global industrial and supply chains. Such acts seriously infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, violate WTO rules, damage the rules-based multilateral trading system, and strike at the stability of the global economic order. The post-war international system and order are encountering severe challenges. However, the general direction of human development and progress will not change, the logic of world history advancing through twists and turns will not change, and the general trend of the international community sharing a common destiny will not change. The current international system plays a core role in promoting world peace and development; it still possesses a solid foundation and strong momentum. Maintaining the post-war international order holds significant contemporary value.
Maintaining the post-war international order concerns world peace and development. Looking at the history of international relations, no international system is perfect. The current international order is also not perfect, but as long as it is rules-based, fairness-oriented, and aimed at win-win cooperation, it cannot be cast aside at will, and even less can it be subjected to starting over from scratch [6]. History has proven time and again that there is no development without peace and no prosperity without stability. Faced with an international situation intertwined with change and disorder and a historical trend toward a shared future, the security of all nations is closely linked. No country can enjoy safety in isolation [7], nor can any country go it alone to manage the world’s affairs. All countries should cherish this hard-won peace and tranquility and play a constructive role in maintaining global and regional stability. We must persist in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, resolve differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation, seek consensus rather than undermine it, dissipate rather than create contradictions, and promote a more just and reasonable international order to maintain world peace and security for the long term.
Maintaining the post-war international order concerns the authority and legitimacy of the United Nations. The purposes and principles of the UN Charter are the fundamental guidance for handling international relations and must be maintained unswervingly. No country has the power to monopolize international affairs; international rules and order should be jointly formulated and observed by all countries. The relations and interests of nations can only be coordinated through institutions and rules. Major powers should lead by example as advocates and defenders of the international rule of law, keeping their word and honoring their commitments. They must not engage in exceptionalism or double standards, nor should they distort international law to infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of other countries or undermine international peace and stability in the name of the rule of law. History teaches us that the international system with the UN at its core is an important guarantee for the cause of human progress and plays a key role in global governance. In recent years, a series of crises and challenges have repeatedly warned us that the role of the United Nations can only be strengthened, not weakened; the status of the UN must be maintained, not replaced.
Maintaining the post-war international order concerns the future of multilateralism. "The problems of the world are complex and multifaceted; the way out of these problems is to maintain and practice multilateralism and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity." Multilateralism is the cornerstone of the post-war international order, and solidarity and cooperation are the greatest common denominator of the international community. Individual countries have developed a serious bias in their perception of the world, engaging heavily in unilateralism and "my country first," placing their own interests above the common international interest. The United States, as the greatest beneficiary of the post-war international system and order, is moving toward its opposite. The law of the jungle—where the strong prey on the weak—has openly appeared, and coercion and bullying are no longer disguised. Multilateralism is suffering serious setbacks. The international community generally expresses opposition to this and demands a commitment to multilateralism and the maintenance of international cooperation.
Maintaining the post-war international order concerns the democratization of international relations. We must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, persist in the equality of all nations regardless of size, strength, or wealth, respect the development paths and social systems independently chosen by the people of all countries, oppose all forms of hegemonism and power politics, oppose interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and refrain from imposing one's will on others. We must strictly implement the international rule of law, ensure the effective implementation of international law, and oppose double standards and selective application. Any unilateral sanction bypassing the authorization of the UN Security Council is without legal basis, lacks reason, and offends basic sensibilities [8]. In promoting global governance, all countries have the right to equal participation, equal decision-making, and equal benefits. Any act of the strong bullying the weak or engaging in "shrewd taking and forceful plundering" [9] is a crude violation of the basic norms of international relations and the democratization of international relations.
4. China’s responsibility as a major power in maintaining the post-war international order
For a long time, as a stable, positive, and progressive force in the international community, China has consistently upheld the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity. It stands unswervingly on the right side of history, on the side of human civilization and progress, and on the side of the common interests of the vast majority of countries. China resolutely maintains the international system with the UN at its core and the international order based on international law, establishing an image of a responsible, proactive, and trustworthy major power, and demonstrating its responsibility as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
China firmly maintains the international system with the United Nations at its core. China has always believed that there is only one system in the world, which is the international system with the UN at its core; only one order, which is the international order based on international law; and only one set of rules, which are the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. No country should act on its own or create a separate system. China upholds a vision of global governance characterized by "extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits," [10] and firmly maintains the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core. It advocates that all countries, in the spirit of mutual respect and through equal dialogue and consultation, properly handle issues arising in economic and trade exchanges in accordance with international relations norms and multilateral trade rules. We promote multilateral mechanisms such as the WTO and APEC to play a better role, expand the influence of cooperation mechanisms such as the BRICS countries and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and increase the representation and voice of emerging market countries and developing countries in global affairs. China actively participates in the formulation of global security rules, strengthens international security cooperation, actively participates in UN peacekeeping operations, and plays a constructive role in maintaining world peace and regional stability.
Continually advance an equal and orderly multipolar world. Equal multipolarity reflects equality of rights, opportunities, and rules for all nations. It does not allow for a few major powers to monopolize international affairs, nor does it allow for the division of countries into different tiers based on their status of strength [11]. It does not allow for whoever has the biggest fist to have the final say, and even less does it allow for some countries to be seated at the "table" while others can only be on the "menu" [12]. Equal multipolarity requires adhering to the principle that all countries, large or small, are equal; that all nations can participate equally, enjoy rights, and play a role in the process of multipolarization; and that we oppose the formation of blocs and exclusive "small circles" [13] targeted at specific countries, thereby effectively promoting the democratization of international relations. Orderly multipolarity means that all nations must act within the international system with the United Nations at its core, and all must cooperate within the process of global governance to ensure the multipolarization process remains stable and constructive overall, practicing true multilateralism.
Drive the promotion of a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. We must conform to the universal demands of all nations, especially developing countries, to both enlarge and properly divide the "cake" of economic development [14]. This ensures that different countries, classes, and groups can participate in and enjoy the fruits of economic and social development, properly resolving the imbalances in development between and within nations caused by the global allocation of resources, thereby realizing common prosperity. We support all countries in pursuing development paths suited to their own national conditions, avoiding the homogenization of development models, and rejecting unilateralism and protectionism that harm others for one's own gain. We must resolutely promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, crack the structural problems hindering the healthy development of the world economy, maintain the stability and smooth flow of global industrial and supply chains, preserve the vitality and momentum of global economic growth, and drive economic globalization toward a direction that is more open, inclusive, universally beneficial, and balanced.
Resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests. The return of Taiwan to China is a significant component of the achievements of the victory of World War II and the postwar international order. A series of documents with international legal validity, such as the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, confirmed China’s sovereignty over Taiwan; these historical and legal facts are beyond doubt, and the authority of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 is not to be challenged. Resolving the Taiwan question and achieving the complete reunification of the motherland is the unswerving historical task of the Party, the common aspiration of all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation, and an inevitable requirement for achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. No matter how the situation on the island of Taiwan changes, and no matter how external forces create trouble, the historical trend that China will eventually be reunited—and must be reunited—is unstoppable. We firmly uphold the greater interests of the nation, grasp the general trend of history, resolutely oppose "Taiwan independence" separatist acts, resolutely oppose interference by external forces, remain firmly in control of the lead and the initiative in cross-Strait relations, and unwaveringly advance the great cause of national reunification.
(Author: Wu Zhicheng, Researcher at the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Center of the Central Party School [National Academy of Governance] and Dean of the Institute of International Strategy)
Online Editor: Tongxin Source: Guangming Daily, May 16, 2025, Page 6