Understanding the Global Governance Initiative

The world is facing a great transformation unseen in a century. While old problems remain unsolved, new problems keep popping up and are becoming increasingly severe, from war and conflict to climate change and challenges posed by AI. President Xi Jinping has asked, “What has happened to the world and how should we respond?”

What has happened to the world? Xi has summarized the current challenges with “five deficits”—deficits of peace, development, security, governance and trust. To address these issues, he has proposed targeted initiatives: the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI), the Global Civilizations Initiative (GCI) and the Global Governance Initiative (GGI). A future global trust initiative may also be added to these.

The GDI focuses on promoting international development cooperation. The GSI focuses on resolving international disputes through dialogue and consultation. The GCI aims to promote the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations. The GGI focuses on the direction, principles and pathways for reforming the global governance system. A future global trust initiative may focus on rebuilding trust in the international community, from concepts and mechanisms to actions. This five-pronged approach serves as a systematic remedy for the international community.

The world is plagued by not only the “five deficits,” but also the “three gaps:” the technological gap, the digital gap and the gap in the use of intelligent technology. All of this indicates the need to build a community with a shared future for humanity—an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity.

Underlying reasons

On September 1, Xi, at the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus” Meeting in Tianjin, proposed the GGI, which outlines the primary premise of sovereignty equality, the fundamental guideline of upholding international rule of law, the basic path of practicing multilateralism, the values of a people-centered approach and the important principle of emphasizing real results.

So why did China propose the GGI? The Concept Paper on the Global Governance Initiative, released on September 1, points out that the current international institutions have three deficiencies:

First, serious underrepresentation of the Global South. The collective rise of emerging markets and developing countries necessitates boosting the representation of the Global South and redressing historical injustice.

Second, erosion of authoritativeness. The purposes and principles of the UN Charter have not been effectively observed. Resolutions of the Security Council have been challenged. Unilateral sanctions, among other practices, have violated international law and disrupted the international order.

Third, urgent need for greater effectiveness. The implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is seriously lagging behind. Issues such as climate change and the digital divide are becoming more salient. Governance gaps exist in new frontiers such as AI, cyberspace and outer space.

The cultural roots

Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) philosopher Zhang Zai once said the goals of human beings are “to establish conscience for Heaven and Earth, to secure life and prosperity for the people, to continue the lost teachings of past sages, and to establish peace for all future generations.” For centuries, these goals have inspired numerous scholars. Today, they also serve as a footnote to the series of China-proposed global initiatives.

To establish conscience for Heaven and Earth. Development is the foundation of security. It is the key to solving all problems in human society. The GDI focuses on the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals—a collection of 17 goals aiming to end poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change—in a narrow sense, and on the wider scale it looks to tackling challenges facing humanity’s common development and promoting national independence.

To secure life and prosperity for the people. Security is the prerequisite for development. The GSI specifically addresses the inequalities and confrontational nature of the U.S. alliance system. In a broader sense, it addresses the widespread lack of security capacity. Without development and security, sovereign equality remains a fiction.

To continue the lost teachings of past sages. Behind sovereign equality lies the equality of civilizations. China opposes the arrogance of claiming superiority and exploiting other “backward” civilizations, as seen in the logic of imperial Japan’s aggression against China as an agrarian civilization. At the same time, modernization is rooted in one’s own civilization, not Westernization or universalization. Various civilizations should seek common ground while maintaining differences, and the GCI is an important mission in promoting the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations.

To establish peace for all future generations. True global governance is not governance by the U.S. or the West, but by all countries, especially the Global South, which accounts for 80 percent of the world’s population, acting collectively according to the UN Charter and other recognized international relations principles to address global challenges. Global governance must be truly global, with all countries pursuing good governance together in the public’s interest.

After proposing the GGI, at a reception to observe the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War on September 3, Xi emphasized, “We humans all share the same planet. We must pull together in solidarity and harmony, and ensure that the law of the jungle never makes a comeback.”

The author is a professor of diplomacy at the School of International Relations, Renmin University of China.