Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy Research Center: Theoretical Contributions and Practical Value of the Global Governance Concept of Extensive Consultation, Joint Contribution and Shared Benefits
In October 2015, while presiding over the 27th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping explicitly proposed to "promote the global governance concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits." The report to the 19th CPC National Congress stated that "China adheres to the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits," establishing the theoretical status of this vision in the form of official Party documents. The report to the 20th CPC National Congress proposed to "act on the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits." The Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs held at the end of 2023 established "promoting global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits" as the pathway for realizing the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. The vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits is an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy and one of the signature concepts of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It is a major achievement of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism in the field of international relations, possessing historical significance in the developmental history of global governance theory and providing a brand-new path for solving the fundamental and urgent problems facing human society today.
From the perspective of historical logic, the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits profoundly responds to the requirements of the times for the development of human society.
Looking back at the past, global governance is an inevitable product of human society reaching a certain stage of development. Over several centuries, global governance has grown from nothing into something, from small to large, playing an increasingly important role in maintaining peace and promoting development. Marxism holds that the more thoroughly the original isolation of various nations is destroyed by improved modes of production, intercourse, and the naturally developed division of labor between different nations as a result of such intercourse, the more history becomes world history. The formation of world history is the fundamental condition for global governance. The Westphalian system established in the mid-17th century built a regional order in Europe with limited subjects and scope, establishing norms of international relations such as sovereign equality, and laying the orderly foundation for subsequent global governance. However, constrained by factors such as the level of productive forces, the degree of industrialization, and modes of transport and communication, this order did not yet possess global attributes in the true sense. Attempts at true global governance within the process of world history began with the League of Nations established after World War I. After World War II, a global governance system with the United Nations as its main body, involving the vast majority of the world's countries and a wide range of fields, was established, and the practice of global governance entered a stage of great development. In 1990, the Commission on Global Governance proposed the concept of "global governance," which quickly gained international recognition. After the end of the Cold War, with the in-depth development of economic globalization and the continuous emergence of global challenges, global governance received increasing attention from countries worldwide. The subjects participating in global governance continuously increased, and the internal meaning and external scope of global governance constantly expanded, becoming an important part of the theory and practice of international relations.
Focusing on reality, the reform of the global governance system is a question of the times that the world must answer today. In today's world, the in-depth development of economic globalization has linked the interests and fates of all countries more closely, forming a community of interests where "you are in me and I am in you." President Xi Jinping pointed out: "In the face of risks and challenges, no country can stay aloof; adhering to solidarity, cooperation, openness, and inclusiveness is the only right path for humanity [1]." Many problems are no longer confined within the borders of a single country, and many challenges are no longer manageable by the strength of one country alone; global challenges require all nations to work together in concert. Meanwhile, profound changes have occurred in the international balance of power. In particular, the rapid development of emerging market countries and developing countries has continuously strengthened their will to participate in global governance and increased their capacity to push global governance toward a more just and reasonable direction. However, developed countries are unwilling to cede more power to developing countries. Especially as the changes unseen in a century accelerate their evolution, international turbulence has intensified and chaotic phenomena have frequently appeared. A few individual countries ignore international rules and indulge in self-supremacy [2], causing the failure of global governance mechanisms and making the governance deficit increasingly obvious.
Looking to the future, improving global governance requires the guidance of brand-new concepts. The times are the mother of thought. The proposal of the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits reflects General Secretary Xi Jinping's acute insight into the times and his deep historical consciousness as the leader of a major country. Global governance differs from governance by governments or social governance in the general sense; it relies on the formation of certain rules and the establishment of corresponding institutions through consultation by various actors based on an identification with common values and concepts to adjust mutual relations, rights, and obligations. Therefore, the foundation and key to improving global governance is to solve the problem of concepts. As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The reform of the global governance system cannot be separated from the leadership of concepts." With the growth of national strength and the improvement of international status, China is increasingly moving toward the center of the world stage, and the relationship between China and the world is undergoing active and far-reaching changes. China's foreign policy propositions, especially the major concepts and initiatives proposed by General Secretary Xi Jinping, are increasingly welcomed and supported by the international community; the active role China plays in addressing various global challenges and solving hot-spot and difficult issues is increasingly expected and praised by countries around the world. Especially in recent years, as unilateralism and protectionism have run rampant and hegemonism and power politics have resurged, the world yearns for stability and a sense of direction. More and more countries sincerely hope that China will demonstrate leadership and provide certainty, and they eagerly expect China to play a greater role in global governance.
From the perspective of theoretical logic, the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits has achieved integrated innovation in ontology, epistemology, and methodology.
The vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits advocates that global affairs should be discussed by everyone together, the governance system should be built by everyone together, and the achievements of governance should be shared by everyone together, so that all countries become participants in, contributors to, and beneficiaries of world peace and development. This vision of global governance profoundly answers the questions of "who governs," "for whom to govern," and "how to govern." It has achieved integrated innovation at the levels of ontology, epistemology, and methodology, and is an important original achievement of the Sinicization of global governance theory and the internationalization of Chinese governance experience.
Expansion of subjects. President Xi Jinping pointed out: "Advocating the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits and practicing true multilateralism means adhering to the principle that international rules should be jointly written and maintained by all countries. World affairs should be handled through consultation among all countries; we cannot allow whoever has the 'thickest arm' [3] to have the final say." He places special emphasis on the power of the Global South countries. During his visit to the New Development Bank of the BRICS countries, President Xi Jinping pointed out: "The collective rise of the Global South has become an important force for maintaining world peace, promoting common development, and improving global governance." The vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits replaces the mindset of narrow nationalism with the mindset of sovereign equality, advocates for the diversification of governance subjects, and maintains that participating in global governance should not be the privilege or monopoly of major powers. Instead, it aims to maximize the openness and inclusiveness of cooperation mechanisms, concepts, and policies to ensure that all countries have an equal right to participate in global governance. It is necessary to maintain and practice true multilateralism, the essence of which is that international affairs should be handled by everyone through consultation, the future and fate of the world should be grasped by all countries together, and global problems should be solved through open cooperation to jointly maintain world peace and stability and promote prosperous development. The Global South must take the lead in the process of improving the global governance system, jointly serving as the backbone for open development, a constructive force for global governance, and a stabilizing force for maintaining peace, pushing the international order toward a more just and reasonable direction.
Elevation of realm. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Promote the democratization and the rule of law in global governance rules, and strive to make the global governance system more balanced in reflecting the will and interests of the majority of countries." In April 2025 [4], during talks with Kenyan President Ruto, President Xi Jinping emphasized: "China does not court trouble, but nor does it fear trouble. China is willing to work with all countries in the world to respond to various challenges through solidarity and cooperation, safeguard its own legitimate rights and interests, maintain international trade rules, and uphold international fairness and justice." The vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits advocates for pushing for equality of rights, equality of opportunity, and equality of rules for all countries in global governance. Furthermore, the achievements of development should no longer be monopolized by a few countries; the people of all countries have the right to live a happy life. It advocates for sovereign equality rather than the strong bullying the weak, fairness and justice instead of "my country first," and solidarity and cooperation instead of division and confrontation. It emphasizes that international rules should be jointly observed by all countries to ensure effective implementation. Exceptionalism and double standards must not be practiced; so-called "rules" formulated by small circles must not be allowed to infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of other countries. We cannot sit idly by while multilateral institutions become dysfunctional or ineffective because member states cannot cooperate; we must strengthen the authority of the international rule of law. Major powers, in particular, should take the lead in practicing integrity and the rule of law; they should not dominate the market through intimidation or engage in clever plundering.
Reconstruction of thinking. The vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits represents a revolution in the mode of thinking regarding global governance. First, it uses dialectical thinking to fundamentally resolve the problem of the unity of rights and responsibilities. In April 2025, when meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez, President Xi Jinping pointed out: "China and Europe should fulfill their international responsibilities, jointly safeguard the trend of economic globalization and the international trade environment, and jointly resist unilateral bullying. This not only protects their own legitimate rights and interests but also maintains international fairness, justice, and the international rules and order." This embodies a close connection between the creators of governance rules, the participants in governance actions, and the enjoyers of governance results. Second, it views global governance through systematic thinking to adapt to the changed world pattern. The report to the 20th CPC National Congress stated: "China actively participates in the reform and development of the global governance system, practices the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, adheres to true multilateralism, promotes the democratization of international relations, and pushes global governance toward a more just and reasonable direction." This vision of global governance systematically and profoundly answers the epochal question of "with what concepts should we strengthen global governance," providing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for the reform and improvement of the global governance system. Third, it remains problem-oriented, focusing on the most prominent issues of development, security, and civilization in the world today, providing international public goods represented by the "Three Global Initiatives." It emphasizes that when responding to urgent issues such as regional conflicts, natural disasters, and major epidemics, multilateral institutions must react quickly and demonstrate humanitarianism and the capacity for action. When responding to long-term challenges such as emerging technologies, climate change, and the loss of biodiversity, multilateral institutions must prepare for a rainy day [5] and demonstrate forward-looking vision and leadership.
From the perspective of value logic, the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits is a landmark achievement of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism in the field of international relations, holding historical significance in the developmental history of global governance theory.
The vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits is an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy and a key signature concept of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Standing on theoretical heights and facing the people of all countries, this concept demonstrates immense penetrative power, attraction, and appeal, achieving a "revolution in terminology."
It provides a realization path for building a community with a shared future for humanity. Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy is a systematic, scientific, and logically rigorous system of thought and theory, rich in connotation and broad and profound in scope. Building a community with a shared future for humanity is the core concept of this system. The Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs held at the end of 2023 clarified the "four pillars and eight beams" [6] of building a community with a shared future for humanity, such as the goals, realization paths, universal principles, basic supports, strategic guidance, and practice platforms, thereby establishing the scientific system for building a community with a shared future for humanity. In terms of logical relationships, building a community with a shared future for humanity focuses on core concepts and philosophical pursuits, solving problems of the general goal and major direction; the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits focuses on ideas and methods in specific fields, solving problems of practical schemes and implementation measures. The two share the relationship of goal and path. In terms of conceptual core, the essence of both the vision of global governance featuring extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity is "the common" (共同). This is in the same strain as the basic principles of Marxism and is a vivid manifestation of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism.
Making a major contribution to the enrichment and development of global governance theory. President Xi Jinping has pointed out: "The existing international order is not perfect, but there is no need to start from scratch or set up a new kitchen; rather, it should be reformed and perfected on the basis of meticulous maintenance." Using the global governance perspective of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits to promote the reform of the global governance system is, in both theory and practice, neither a total demolition nor a "starting from scratch" [7]; rather, it is an insistence on seeking common ground while reserving differences, upholding multilateralism, and advancing with the times to enrich and perfect the system. The concept of global governance originated and flourished in Europe and America, theoretically stemming from traditional Western international relations theory. Its ideological roots are closely linked to "Western-centrism" as well as theories of "civilizational superiority" and "racial superiority," possessing innate defects and historical limitations. The global governance perspective of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits abandons the old concepts of zero-sum games and winner-takes-all. It emphasizes that all countries should respect each other and engage in equal consultation, joint participation, joint construction, and joint sharing in international affairs. By promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, it provides a brand-new value orientation for global governance. This perspective covers multiple fields—including economics, politics, security, culture, and ecology—forming a complete, systematic, and logically rigorous theoretical framework that enriches the connotation of global governance theory.
An important achievement of the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "The 'Second Combination' [8] is another liberation of the mind, allowing us to fully utilize the precious resources of fine traditional Chinese culture within a broader cultural space to explore future-oriented theoretical and institutional innovations." Chinese civilization is the only great civilization in the world that has developed continuously as a state form to the present day. The ideological concepts, humanistic spirit, moral norms, and life philosophies contained within fine traditional Chinese culture are not only the core of the Chinese people's thought and spirit but also nurture the wisdom for handling contemporary international relations. The global governance perspective of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits represents the creative transformation and innovative development of value concepts such as "harmony among all nations" [9], "harmony without uniformity" [10], "the world belongs to the public" [11], "the unity of knowledge and action" [12], and "the people are the most precious" [13]. It is concise yet profound, embodying deep historical and cultural accumulation.
Demonstrating the fine traditions and distinctive characteristics of New China’s diplomacy. As early as the 1950s, Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out that China should make a greater contribution to humanity. "Maintaining a global perspective" is one of the historical experiences of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) century of struggle. Under the leadership of the CPC, New China proposed important diplomatic concepts such as the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence [14], continuously contributing wisdom to the construction of a just and reasonable international order. The global governance perspective of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits inherits and promotes fine Chinese diplomatic traditions like peaceful coexistence and seeking common ground while reserving differences. Through further refinement and sublimation, it has become the ideological banner for China’s participation in and guidance of the reform of the global governance system. It showcases the style of a major power that upholds the fundamentals and breaks new ground, a global sentiment of establishing oneself while helping others settle [15], and a broad mind of openness and inclusiveness.
From the perspective of practical logic, the global governance perspective of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits contributes a pivotal force to the transformation of global governance. This perspective is not only a theoretical innovation but also an action program, constantly demonstrating majestic practical power in strengthening the construction of international organizations and improving the level of global governance in various fields.
Firmly guiding the developmental direction of global governance. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping, with a broad global vision, profound strategic thinking, and the grand magnanimity of a leader, has deeply grasped the laws of historical development and the future destiny of humanity. He has delivered important speeches many times at multilateral mechanism meetings such as the United Nations, the G20, APEC, and BRICS, proposing a series of new concepts, initiatives, and propositions that possess Chinese characteristics, meet international expectations, and conform to the general trend of history, providing important strategic guidance for the reform of the global governance system. He emphasizes adhering to true multilateralism and promoting the global governance system toward a more just and reasonable direction; advocates for orderly multipolarity and inclusive globalization to firmly defend international fairness and justice; and has proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI). From the three dimensions of development, security, and civilization, these provide comprehensive, systematic, and highly operable solutions for human society to unite in addressing common challenges. From the five aspects of economy, finance, trade, digital affairs, and ecology, he has profoundly expounded on the concepts and propositions for perfecting global governance, calling for the construction of a cooperative, stable, open, innovative, and eco-friendly world economy.
Continuously promoting the construction of global governance mechanisms. Under the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, China supports and promotes the continuous reform and improvement of the United Nations, encouraging the UN, including the Security Council, to better fulfill its duties, concentrate global consensus more effectively, mobilize global resources, and coordinate global actions. China supports professional international organizations with universal representation, such as the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization, in playing active roles; actively participates in international dialogue and cooperation mechanisms like the G20 and APEC; and strengthens dialogue and cooperation with regional organizations such as ASEAN, the African Union, the Arab League, CELAC, and the European Union. China has promoted the historic expansion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS mechanism, advocated for the establishment of platforms such as the China-Central Asia Summit and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism, hosted the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, and promoted the establishment of new multilateral financing institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank.
Comprehensively participating in international cooperation in global governance. China has joined almost all universal intergovernmental international organizations and more than 600 international conventions and amendments. China is the second-largest contributor to the UN's regular budget and peacekeeping assessments, and is the country that dispatches the most peacekeepers among the permanent members of the Security Council. Under the personal promotion of General Secretary Xi Jinping, China successfully brokered the reconciliation and restoration of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran; maintained the general direction of promoting peace and talks; and played a constructive role in the political settlement processes of regional hotspots such as the Ukraine crisis, the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. China continuously improves its level of opening up to the outside world, expands its network of high-standard global free trade areas, implements the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with high quality, and promotes the construction of an open world economy. China pushed for the achievement of the Paris Agreement on climate change, builds consensus around the Global AI Governance Initiative, and jointly launched the "International Cooperation Initiative on Open Science" with Global South countries, promoting the improvement of governance rules for new frontiers such as the deep sea, polar regions, outer space, and the internet, contributing Chinese wisdom and solutions to relevant multilateral agendas.
In the New Era and on the new journey, it is necessary to more deeply understand and scientifically grasp the ideological palette and theoretical character of the global governance perspective of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits. At the same time, we must insist on integrating theory with practice, understanding both "why it is good" and "how to use it." Against the historical backdrop of the changes unseen in a century, we must unite the progressive forces of all countries, take extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits in global governance as the path of realization, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.