Xu Jian: Deeply Grasping the Significant Significance and Contemporary Value of the Global Governance Initiative
At present, the Great Changes Unseen in a Century are accelerating their evolution; the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, and the deficits in peace, development, security, governance, and trust facing human society are increasing unabated. Against this backdrop, the Global Governance Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" meeting has drawn widespread attention from the international community. This important initiative 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 focuses closely on the key issues affecting the reform and construction of the global governance system, conforms to the general trend of the development of human history, and reflects the fundamental logic of the progress of world political civilization, possessing great significance for the maintenance of world peace and development. Along with the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative previously proposed by President Xi Jinping, the Global Governance Initiative collectively reflects the continuous expansion and deepening of the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity. It represents a major innovative development of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy and demonstrates China's image as a responsible major power that persists in taking the path of peaceful development, steadfastly maintains the international order and the basic norms governing international relations, and resolutely defends international fairness and justice.
Embodying the Responsibility of a Major Power in Maintaining the Post-War International Order and Resolving Global Governance Dilemmas
In his important speech at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" meeting, President Xi Jinping pointed out: "Eighty years ago, the catastrophe of two world wars caused the international community to reflect deeply on its pain [1]; the United Nations was born as the times required, and global governance turned a new page. Eighty years later, the trend of the times—peace, development, cooperation, and win-win results—has not changed, but the haze of Cold War mentality, hegemonism, and protectionism remains, with new threats and challenges increasing unabated. The world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, and global governance has arrived at a new crossroads." On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, President Xi Jinping’s proposal of the Global Governance Initiative carries profound historical significance and major practical importance.
The Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression was an important component of the World Anti-Fascist War. The World Anti-Fascist War was a life-and-death struggle between justice and evil, light and darkness, progress and reaction, concerning the future and destiny of human civilization. The great victory of the World Anti-Fascist War not only marked the triumph of justice over might and civilization over barbarism but also laid the foundation for constructing an international order based on international fairness and justice, eventually forming the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Eighty years of history have proven that these achievements of the victory of World War II have played an irreplaceable role in promoting post-war world peace and development, becoming the "ballast stone" for maintaining global stability and driving the vigorous development of the wave of economic globalization, greatly promoting the prosperity and development of the world economy.
As the Great Changes Unseen in a Century accelerate, the development of world political civilization has once again reached a complex and profound historical turning point. The positive results brought by the victory of World War II to the development of world political civilization are facing challenges and tests from different directions. On the one hand, power politics is resurging; coupled with the negative impact of erroneous views on the history of World War II, undercurrents in international politics are surging and "the dregs are rising to the surface" [2], making the world situation increasingly turbulent. Power politics attempts to challenge the post-war international order from its underlying logic. Certain countries place their own interests above the common interests of the international community, frequently bypassing the United Nations and trampling on international law to pursue geopolitical demands through military means, causing relevant regions to fall into long-term turmoil and weakening the authority of the United Nations in maintaining collective security. A small number of countries even extend their acts of hegemony, dominance, and bullying into the fields of economy, technology, and culture, abusing sanctions under the pretext of generalized "national security," carrying out technological blockades and supply chain decoupling, implementing "long-arm jurisdiction," and building exclusive "small circles." This runs counter to the common aspiration of the international community for peaceful development and win-win cooperation, intensifies the instability and uncertainty of the international situation, worsens the global development environment, and forces humanity to face the profound question of whether the tragic history of the two world wars will repeat itself.
On the other hand, the challenges brought by the global governance deficit are becoming more severe. The profound changes in the international configuration of power, the accelerated evolution of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, and the tortuous progress of economic globalization produce momentum for world development while posing new tests for the adaptability of the international order and the global governance system. Frontier technologies represented by artificial intelligence and biotechnology are constantly reshaping industrial forms and international industrial chains. Both competition and cooperation between countries face new choices, with opportunities and challenges coexisting. Against this backdrop, the international community's demand for reforming and improving global governance is more urgent than ever, and the interconnectedness and complexity of various global challenges have risen significantly. At the same time, the rise of unilateralism, protectionism, and hegemonism has hindered the enhancement of global governance capabilities and weakened the supply of global governance public goods. Due to lagging rules, weak implementation, and diminished effectiveness in many fields such as security, development, and the environment, the global governance system is increasingly unable to adapt to the endless stream of systemic challenges. The world has entered a "dilemma period" of governance where problems are intertwined and responses are ineffectual.
As the saying goes, "The way to benefit all things is to move with the times" [3]. At this critical historical juncture where the global governance deficit is intensifying and the maintenance of the achievements of World War II victory faces more challenges and tests, President Xi Jinping, with the "concern for all under heaven" [4] befitting the leader of a major party and a major country, proposed the Global Governance Initiative. This deepens China's contribution to the development of world political civilization in two aspects: First, it further defends the achievements of the victory of World War II. The Chinese military and people bore the heavy responsibility of supporting the main eastern theater of the World Anti-Fascist War and made enormous sacrifices, earning China its status as a founding member of the United Nations and a permanent member of the Security Council. The proposal of the Global Governance Initiative is precisely an important measure by China to adhere to a correct view of World War II history, oppose the falsification of history or the blurring of right and wrong, and steadfastly maintain the achievements of the post-war international system and international order. Second, it provides a scientific answer to the "Question of the World," the "Question of History," and the "Question of the Times" regarding "where humanity is going." Facing the common challenges brought to the international community by the growing gap between supply and demand of international public goods and the intensifying global governance deficit, China, as the world's second-largest economy, guided by the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity, has proposed the Global Governance Initiative. It contributes Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to crack the difficult problems of global governance, demonstrating China's major-power responsibility to always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order.
Demonstrating a Profound Grasp of Historical Laws and the Logic of the Times
In his important speech at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" meeting, President Xi Jinping emphasized: "History tells us that the more difficult the moment, the more we must uphold our original aspiration for peaceful coexistence, strengthen our confidence in win-win cooperation, and persist in advancing within the logic of historical progress and developing within the trend of the times." The core concepts contained in the Global Governance Initiative—upholding sovereign equality, abiding by the international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating a people-centered approach, and emphasizing action-orientation—stem from a profound insight into historical laws and a deep grasp of the logic of the times. The Global Governance Initiative is not a simple policy statement but a precise diagnosis and breakthrough solution for the current global governance deficit, pointing out the way forward for the global governance system to escape its current predicament.
First, it aligns with the universal desire to defend international fairness and justice. The five major concepts of the Global Governance Initiative clarify the principles, methods, and paths that must be followed to reform and improve global governance. Among them, sovereign equality is the primary prerequisite for global governance; the international rule of law is the fundamental guarantee; multilateralism is the basic path; a people-centered approach is the value orientation; and action-orientation is an important principle. These five aspects constitute an organic and unified whole, providing scientific guidance for promoting the construction of a more just and reasonable global governance system and moving toward a community with a shared future for humanity. These five concepts profoundly grasp the underlying logic of the development of today's world political civilization. In the field of global governance, they oppose and counter hegemonism and power politics with propositions that embody international fairness and justice, and promote the progress of world political civilization by reforming and improving global governance. This reflects the worldview, view of order, and values of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, pushing major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the New Era to a new height.
Second, it resolves the practical predicament of the global governance deficit. The basic framework of the current global governance system took shape after World War II, and many aspects no longer suit the current world landscape and development trends. Currently, the weight of Global South countries in the international landscape continues to rise, but their right to speak and their representation in international affairs have not increased correspondingly, leading to a "representation deficit" in the global governance system. Meanwhile, with the rise of unilateralism and protectionism, multilateral mechanisms are being marginalized or selectively utilized. Some countries bypass the United Nations to launch unilateral actions or deliberately obstruct the implementation of UN resolutions, seriously weakening the binding force of international law. The governance plans of many international organizations are "discussed without decision, or decided without implementation," resulting in an "authority deficit" and an "effectiveness deficit" in the global governance system. The Global Governance Initiative accurately diagnoses these chronic ailments and prescribes a cure: it advocates for the democratization of international relations, promoting the global governance system to better reflect the interests of the majority of countries, increasing the representation and voice of Global South countries to bridge the "representation deficit"; it steadfastly maintains the authority of the UN Charter and international law, ensuring that international rules build consensus and are applied equally to eliminate the "authority deficit"; it coordinates various agendas of global governance, improving governance efficiency through systematic planning and holistic advancement to cure the "effectiveness deficit." The Global Governance Initiative is not only a declaration of values such as international fairness and justice but also provides a feasible and operational Chinese solution to deal with global governance dilemmas.
Third, it conforms to the trend of the times for peace and development. One major practical significance of the Global Governance Initiative is that it firmly grasps the themes of the times—peace and development—and provides a new path for promoting world peace and development. The initiative contains the principles and directions for the reform and construction of the global governance system, providing important guidance for the reform of key institutions like the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, as well as the formulation of new international rules. The Global Governance Initiative can further promote the deepening of international cooperation. Although differences exist among countries, the longing for peace and development and the pursuit of fairness and justice are common. The Global Governance Initiative captures this "greatest common denominator"; once proposed, it gained response and support from many countries and international organizations, gathering Global South forces to promote the transformation of the global governance system. The Global Governance Initiative practices the global governance view of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, inheriting and carrying forward the spirit of the UN Charter. It advocates that global affairs should be consulted by all countries, the governance system built by all, and the governance results shared by all. It maintains that all countries are equal in sovereignty, internal affairs must not be interfered with, and the development rights and choices of development paths and models of all countries must be respected. it advocates for equal participation, equal decision-making, and equal benefit in global governance for all countries, and promotes the continuous enhancement of the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security, better benefiting the people of all countries. The proposal and practice of the Global Governance Initiative will surely have a positive and far-reaching impact on world peace and development.
Assisting in the Construction of a Community with a Shared Future for Humanity
In his important speech at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" meeting, President Xi Jinping emphasized: "I am willing to propose the Global Governance Initiative and work with all countries to promote the construction of a more just and reasonable global governance system, moving together toward a community with a shared future for humanity." Following the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, the Global Governance Initiative is another precious international public good contributed by China to the world, condensing the wisdom and responsibility to resolve the deficits in peace, development, security, governance, and trust. The four global initiatives are organically unified and complementary, together constituting important strategic measures to promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. In particular, the Global Governance Initiative focuses on pushing for a more just and reasonable global governance system, which can provide institutional support and create a more favorable institutional environment for the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity.
Consolidating the institutional foundation. The Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) respectively respond to the international community's urgent need to bridge the development deficit, the security deficit, and the trust deficit [5], serving as an important foundation for building a community with a shared future for humanity. The Global Governance Initiative (GGI) follows the same spirit as the previous three global initiatives, making the reform and construction of the global governance system yet another critical safeguard for building a community with a shared future for humanity. The GGI is rooted in both history and present reality; it requires that the global governance system—in areas such as the reform of multilateral mechanisms and the formulation of governance rules for emerging fields—embody sovereign equality, the international rule of law, multilateralism, a people-centered approach, and action-orientation. This provides the international community with a governance solution distinct from those relying on a small number of countries to dominate global affairs. It promotes the formation of a governance model characterized by equality, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation, responding to the common expectations of the vast number of developing countries. Based on the world's great changes unseen in a century [6], the GGI is not only a response to contemporary dilemmas but is also intended to further create an international institutional environment conducive to building a community with a shared future for humanity, continuously consolidating the institutional roots for this endeavor.
Forming a synergistic effect. The Global Governance Initiative is interconnected and coordinated with the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative. The GDI is committed to solving practical problems such as the widening North-South gap and the unfair distribution of resources, responding to the universal expectations of human society for common prosperity and development, and promoting the solidification of the economic base of a community with a shared future for humanity. The GSI upholds a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, providing a feasible path for coordinating the maintenance of security in both traditional and non-traditional fields and jointly addressing security issues, thereby creating a stable environment for building a community with a shared future for humanity. The GCI advocates for respecting the diversity of world civilizations, promoting the common values of humanity [7]—peace, development, equity, justice, democracy, and freedom—bridging the cultural gaps and trust divides between different civilizations, and cultivating the cultural soil for building a community with a shared future for humanity. Following the three major global initiatives, the GGI systematically responds to the global governance deficit and provides an institutional framework for promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity. These four global initiatives inject stability and certainty into a turbulent world from the dimensions of development, security, civilization, and governance, respectively. Promoting prosperity through development, ensuring stability through security, increasing mutual trust through civilization, and seeking justice through governance—the four global initiatives promote and complement each other, generating a synergistic effect of a "four-in-one" joint effort to build a community with a shared future for humanity.
Injecting strong momentum. Aiming to promote the construction of a more just and reasonable global governance system and to move forward hand-in-hand toward a community with a shared future for humanity, the GGI rejects the exclusive governance model long employed by a few countries, which draws lines based on ideology and replaces dialogue with confrontation. In global governance, it does not categorize "allies" and "rivals" but instead views all as partners. It takes the common concerns of the international community as the starting point for reforming and improving global governance, embodying the concept of building a community with a shared future for humanity in the reform and construction of the global governance system. It conveys to the world the concept that we must transcend zero-sum games and the Cold War mentality, acknowledging that humanity is a community of shared destiny where "all prosper together or all suffer together" [8]. The introduction of the GGI has opened a new path for global governance oriented toward mutual benefit and win-win results, enabling the international community to seek inclusive solutions through extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits [9] when facing global challenges. This demonstrates China’s growing capacity for agenda-setting in global governance. As global challenges in today's world continue to increase, the GGI emerged as the times require, systematically answering the questions of "governance by whom, how to govern, and for whom to govern." It helps enhance the executive power and effectiveness of the current international system and mechanisms, ensuring they advance with the times and more effectively respond to the challenges of the era. This finds the correct direction for cooperation and injects powerful forward momentum into the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.
(The author is the former President of China Foreign Affairs University) Source: People's Daily (September 15, 2025, Page 09) Editor: Huihui