Sun Jisheng: Implementing Global Governance Initiatives Through a Systematic and Holistic Approach
President Xi Jinping pointed out in his important speech at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" summit: "The trend of our times—peace, development, cooperation, and win-win outcomes—has not changed. However, the shadows of Cold War mentality, hegemonism, and protectionism persist. New threats and challenges are mounting, the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, and global governance has reached a new crossroads." Currently, the wave of economic globalization has linked the countries of the world into a close-knit community of shared interests, shared responsibility, and a shared future. At the same time, humanity increasingly faces various global challenges. Climate change, major infectious diseases, and terrorism directly threaten the safety and well-being of all people, and no country can remain immune in isolation. Global issues require collaborative responses; strengthening global governance and advancing the reform of the global governance system is the prevailing trend. The Global Governance Initiative (GGI) proposed by President Xi Jinping at the "SCO Plus" summit is another original and landmark concept of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy. It contributes Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the reform and improvement of the global governance system. Alongside the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), the GGI will powerfully promote the development of the global governance system toward a more just and reasonable direction.
The Global Governance Initiative Systematically Answers Theoretical and Practical Questions of Global Governance
President Xi Jinping noted: "We must uphold the principle of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, continuously reform and improve the global governance system, and encourage all countries to work together to build a community with a shared future for humanity." To strengthen global governance, we must provide sound answers to the questions of who governs, how to govern, and for whom to govern. The GGI proposed by President Xi takes upholding sovereign equality, abiding by the international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating a people-centered approach, and emphasizing action-orientation as its core concepts. It directly addresses the extant problems in global governance with great realism and focus. It provides scientific answers to major theoretical and practical questions, such as the premises upon which future global governance should be based, the principles it should uphold, and how to achieve effective governance outcomes.
Sovereign equality is the primary prerequisite for global governance. President Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must ensure that all countries, regardless of size, strength, or wealth, participate equally, make decisions equally, and benefit equally in global governance. We must promote the democratization of international relations and increase the representation and voice of developing countries." Cooperation is the foundation for countries to strengthen coordination and jointly address global challenges. To achieve effective cooperation, an essential condition is sovereign equality; the sovereignty and dignity of all countries, regardless of size, strength, or wealth, must be respected. In the current global governance system, Western powers enjoy a dominant position, while developing countries are often viewed as objects of governance rather than equal subjects of governance. Global South countries lack sufficient representation and have a weak voice, with their interests and demands frequently ignored. With the collective rise of emerging markets and developing countries, the international balance of power is constantly changing. We must uphold sovereign equality and correspondingly enhance the representation and voice of the Global South in international affairs. Adhering to sovereign equality serves as the premise for reforming the unjust and unreasonable aspects of the global governance system. It can not only motivate all countries to participate actively in global governance but also enhance the representativeness, inclusiveness, and universal benefit of the governance system.
The international rule of law is the fundamental guarantee for global governance. President Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must comprehensively, fully, and completely abide by the recognized basic norms governing international relations, such as the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. We must ensure that international law and rules are applied equally and uniformly, avoid 'double standards,' and refrain from imposing the 'house rules' of a few countries on others." The international rule of law is a common pursuit of humanity. All countries should participate equally in the formulation of international laws and rules, which should reflect the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of all countries in a comprehensive, balanced, and fair manner, taking into account both individual national interests and the common interests of the international community. Currently, the international rule of law is being seriously eroded. Some countries adopt international rules when they suit them and discard them when they do not, which severely undermines the seriousness and normativity of the international rule of law, leaving the international community at risk of anomie [1]. This has become a major factor disrupting global governance. Abiding by the international rule of law means that international law and rules should be jointly written, maintained, and implemented by all countries, and there are not, nor should there be, any exceptions. Countries must strictly abide by international legal rules such as treaties and customary international law, exercise their rights in accordance with the law, and fulfill their international obligations and responsibilities. They must not deliberately misinterpret international law, ensuring its equal and uniform application.
Multilateralism is the basic path of global governance. President Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must uphold the principle of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, oppose unilateralism, firmly uphold the status and authority of the United Nations, and earnestly give play to the irreplaceable and important role of the UN in global governance." Solidarity and cooperation are inherent requirements of global governance, and only by practicing true multilateralism can lasting and effective solidarity and cooperation be achieved. Since the founding of the UN, multilateralism has been practiced and has become an important cornerstone of post-war global governance. However, in recent years, multilateralism has suffered serious setbacks. The authority of the UN, as a key institution for practicing multilateralism and promoting global governance, has been continuously weakened by unilateralism and hegemonism. A small number of countries have "broken contracts and withdrawn from groups" [2] or "withdrawn funding and cut supplies," occasionally forming "small circles" and "small cliques." They establish exclusive alliances and engage in confrontation under the guise of cooperation, leading to intensified major-power competition and geopolitical conflicts. The world faces the risk of division and confrontation, which seriously hinders solidarity and cooperation. Practicing true multilateralism means that global governance is everyone’s business and concerns the vital interests of every country. It must rely on coordination and cooperation rather than unilateral bullying to ensure the smooth and orderly operation of the global governance system.
A people-centered approach is the value orientation of global governance. President Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must reform and improve the global governance system to ensure that the people of all countries participate in global governance and share in its fruits. This will enable us to better address the common challenges facing human society, better bridge the North-South development gap, and better safeguard the common interests of all countries." Currently, to maintain their own advantages and hegemonic status, a small number of countries obstruct the reform process of international institutions such as the UN and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Reforms in institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank are slow, making it difficult to fully reflect the legitimate demands of developing countries or to allow them to play an active role in global governance. This fails to guarantee the right of all people to participate fairly in and benefit from global governance. Global governance needs to solve global problems that may affect all of humanity. Whether it effectively serves the people of all countries has become an important standard for testing the effectiveness of global governance. Contemporary global issues such as poverty and climate change are already very urgent; solving these problems requires a people-centered approach to effectively improve the well-being of people in all countries.
Action-orientation is an important principle of global governance. President Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must persist in systematic planning and holistic advancement, coordinate global actions, fully mobilize resources from all parties, create more visible results, and use pragmatic cooperation to avoid governance lags and fragmentation." To strengthen global governance, we must build consensus among all parties, encourage countries to move toward each other and take concerted action, and produce tangible governance results. Since the end of the Cold War and the disintegration of the bipolar pattern, world multi-polarization, economic globalization, the digitalization of society, and cultural diversification have developed in depth. The tide of democratizing international relations is surging forward, and more countries, especially the vast number of developing countries, are participating in global governance at a higher level, to a deeper degree, and across a broader scope. Because different countries have different interests and cultures, and because a small number of countries have a blind faith in their "position of strength" [3] and pursue "country-first" policies, certain important global governance agendas are being obstructed. It has become more difficult for countries to reach consensus and take action. Taking action-orientation as a principle means enhancing the executive power and effectiveness of the global governance system to better respond to global challenges and ensure that global governance achieves substantive results.
The Global Governance Initiative forms an Organic Unity with the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "To persist in materialist dialectics, one must grasp things from their internal logic and recognize and handle problems accordingly." Facing the global challenges of today’s world, President Xi Jinping has applied Marxist stances, viewpoints, and methods to observe, grasp, and lead the times. He has successively proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), and the Global Governance Initiative (GGI). These four major global initiatives promote each other and form an organic unity. Together, they constitute an action system for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, providing a comprehensive solution to the peace deficit, development deficit, security deficit, and governance deficit facing our era. We must grasp the GGI within the context of the four major initiatives as a whole, using systems thinking to profoundly understand the close relationship between the GGI and the GDI, GSI, and GCI. From a holistic perspective, we can deeply understand the significant innovative and practical significance of the GGI.
Currently, global challenges are mounting and various global issues are becoming increasingly prominent. On the surface, many problems and challenges seem independent; the specific manifestations of the peace, development, security, and governance deficits differ. However, looking deeper into reality, one finds they are closely related. They not only influence and interact with each other but may also link up, leading to further deterioration of the situation and an escalation of problems. For example, carbon emissions not only cause global warming but also affect biodiversity and food security. Food security issues, in turn, may further undermine the developmental foundations of some developing countries, potentially triggering social unrest and shaking the foundations of regional peace and stability. Some major global infectious diseases are not only matters of life and safety; their spillover effects also impact global economic growth, international political relations, and many other fields. To respond to global challenges, we must adhere to systems thinking, dialectical thinking, and holistic thinking. Otherwise, we may only treat the symptoms rather than the root causes, focusing on one point while neglecting others, or even putting the cart before the horse, making it difficult to achieve long-term governance results. The GGI proposed by President Xi, together with the GDI, GSI, and GCI, forms an interconnected organic whole. This effectively enhances the systematic, holistic, and synergistic nature of solving various global problems. It not only provides specific ideas for countries to jointly address global challenges but also achieves a systematic breakthrough in epistemology and methodology, forming a new framework for strengthening global governance.
The GGI is interrelated with, supported by, and promoted by the GDI, GSI, and GCI; they are all indispensable. Among them, development is the material prerequisite for humanity to respond to various global challenges, the basis for promoting the progress of human civilization, and the guarantee for realizing the people's well-being. The GDI focuses on deepening international development cooperation, promoting the common development of all countries, overcoming the development deficit, and pushing for the construction of a global development community. Security is the guarantee for development and civilization; it creates a stable environment for development and guards the space for the inheritance and innovation of civilization. The GSI focuses on current security challenges, aims to overcome the security deficit, and promotes the transition of global security governance from fragmentation to systematic integration. Civilization is the spiritual accumulation of human development and progress, providing value guidance for humanity. The GCI advocates respect for the diversity of world civilizations, the promotion of the common values of humanity, the importance of civilizational inheritance and innovation, and the strengthening of international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, thereby promoting mutual learning among civilizations. The GGI addresses the pain points and difficulties of global governance directly, clarifying the primary prerequisites, fundamental guarantees, basic paths, value orientations, and important principles of global governance, thereby pointing the way forward for reforming and improving the global governance system.
The four major global initiatives have different focuses, combining specific points with broader contexts and treating both symptoms and root causes. They achieve a systematic response to various global challenges, forming a governance closed-loop characterized by interrelated policy application, holistic advancement, the gathering of powerful synergy, and the collaborative solution to the "four major deficits." Most importantly, whether implementing the GDI, GSI, or GCI, achieving the relevant goals requires all countries to deepen international cooperation and strengthen global governance. It requires a more just and reasonable global governance system as an institutional guarantee. Therefore, the GGI plays a crucial supporting role in the overall implementation of the four major global initiatives and in forming the action system for building a community with a shared future for humanity. It holds immense significance in both theory and practice.
To Better Put the Global Governance Initiative into Practice
President Xi Jinping... [End of provided text]
In an important speech at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" summit, it was pointed out: "In the face of the changes unseen in a century [4] accelerating across the world, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) must play a leading role and serve as a model in practicing the Global Governance Initiative." Currently, the changes unseen in a century are unfolding in unprecedented ways; the changes of the world, of the times, and of history are intertwining and surging forward. Reforming and improving the global governance system has become a vital task for the modern world, concerning the survival, security, development, and prosperity of humanity, as well as the progress of human civilization. The more complex and severe the situation becomes, the more necessary it is to practice the Global Governance Initiative. Since its proposal, the Global Governance Initiative has received positive responses from the international community. Countries including Russia, Portugal, Slovakia, Serbia, Pakistan, Malaysia, Laos, Nicaragua, Cuba, Morocco, and Nauru, along with relevant international organizations, have expressed appreciation or support. UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that the Global Governance Initiative is rich in connotation, its core concepts align highly with the beliefs upheld by the United Nations, and it effectively responds to the strong call of the international community to reform and improve the global governance system. We must promote the comprehensive implementation of the Global Governance Initiative from the conceptual level to the institutional and action levels, continuously injecting more certainty and positive energy into the strengthening of global governance and the cause of world peace and development.
Uphold the correct view of global governance. Countries need to deeply recognize that in the face of global challenges, no single country can solve them alone. Only by profoundly understanding the reality that humanity shares "risks and destiny alike" [5] can we stimulate the endogenous momentum to strengthen global governance and reform the global governance system. In this process, what kind of global governance view we adhere to is crucial to whether the Global Governance Initiative can be practiced. In recent years, some important global governance agendas, such as addressing climate change, have encountered obstacles, while others, such as promoting common development, have been marginalized. Geopolitical conflicts and major-power competition have become the focus of international public opinion, capturing global attention and consuming vast resources. This is inextricably linked to cognitive deviations regarding "governance views"—specifically, issues of what to govern, who should govern, and how to govern. To practice the Global Governance Initiative, we must uphold the global governance view of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits. This ensures that global affairs are discussed by all countries, the governance system is built by all countries, and the fruits of governance are shared by all countries. We must lead the transformation of the global governance system with a correct global governance view, providing scientific guidance for practicing the Global Governance Initiative.
Strengthen institutional building and improve the governance architecture. Practicing the Global Governance Initiative relies on the synergy and cooperation of all countries. It requires utilizing numerous international multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and taking international law and the basic norms governing international relations as the basis. Therefore, how to reform and improve international multilateral platforms, how to reform and improve international rules, and how to ensure that international rules are applied equally and uniformly—answering these questions at the level of institutional building is of paramount importance for practicing the Global Governance Initiative. This requires us to take the reform and improvement of the global governance system as a key breakthrough and focal point. This is not about tearing down the existing global governance system to start over, nor is it about "setting up a separate kitchen" [6]. Rather, it focuses on solving prominent problems such as the insufficient representation and voice of the Global South, the erosion of UN authority, and the weakening effectiveness of global governance, so as to make the global governance system better adapt to the new realities of international political and economic development. In recent years, China has made many efforts in this regard, both promoting UN reform to reinvigorate its authority and vitality under new circumstances, and promoting the expansion of cooperation fields within mechanisms like BRICS and the SCO, making them important platforms for strengthening global governance and effectively promoting a more balanced and effective global governance architecture.
Ensure that global governance continuously achieves new results. The "purity of the gold" [7] in practicing the Global Governance Initiative ultimately depends on whether global governance achieves new results. Currently, a major manifestation of global governance falling into predicament is that governance practice lags behind governance needs, and governance results fail to meet the expectations of people in all countries. For example, at the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, developed countries pledged to provide $100 billion per year in climate finance to developing countries by 2020, but this goal was only first achieved in 2022, two years later than the original plan. To practice the Global Governance Initiative, we must adhere to a combination of problem-orientation, goal-orientation, and result-orientation. Focusing on governance issues of concern to the international community—especially the vast number of developing countries—such as regional peace and stability, global environmental governance, sustainable development, and poverty reduction, we must build consensus, strengthen collaboration, and effectively transform governance consensus into powerful action. We must tangibly promote visible and perceptible governance results in relevant fields, allowing the fruits of global governance to benefit people of all countries more broadly and fairly. Practicing the Global Governance Initiative and promoting new achievements in global governance will surely have an extensive and profound positive impact on humanity’s efforts to tackle global challenges and jointly open up a bright prospect of peace, security, prosperity, and progress.
(The author is Vice President of the China Foreign Affairs University)
Source: People's Daily (October 10, 2025)
Web Editor: Huihui