Global Times: Global Governance Initiative responds to world’s expectation for stability, development and prosperity: scholar
Global Times: Xi’s Global Governance Initiative advances fairness, rule of law, and multilateralism for a shared future.
Beijing, China, Sept. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) at the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus” Meeting held in North China’s Tianjin on September 1. This is another important public good that China has provided to the international community, following the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative. This important initiative points the way forward and provides a practical path for the reform and development of the global governance system, injecting strong impetus into promoting the building of a more just and equitable global governance system and working together for a community with a shared future for humanity.
In October 2015, President Xi put forward the global governance vision of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit. A number of important speeches included in the book series Xi Jinping: The Governance of China reflect President Xi's ideas for promoting reform and improvement of global governance. One of the speeches was delivered at the 19th G20 Summit in Brazil in November 2024, where he once again called for working for a just and equitable global governance system. He also advanced concepts and ideas to improve global governance in the economic, financial, trade, digital and ecological fields, contributing Chinese wisdom and strength to improving the global governance system and opening up a better future for the world.
In the 12th installment of the special series “Decoding the Book of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China,” the Global Times, along with People's Daily Overseas Edition, continues to invite Chinese and foreign scholars, translators of Xi's works, practitioners with firsthand experience and international readers to discuss the theme of “promoting the building of a more just and equitable global governance system and working together for a community with a shared future for humanity,” in a bid to explore in depth the significant contemporary value and global importance of the GGI.
In the 10th article of the "Scholars' Perspectives" column, Global Times talked to Professor Yu Tiejun, President of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IISS) in Peking University, whose expertise includes international relations theory, and history of international political thought and international security.
Global Times: In the article “Carry Forward the Shanghai Spirit and Build an SCO Community with a Shared Future” in Volume V of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, President Xi stressed that “Unity or split, peace or conflict, cooperation or confrontation - these are the questions raised again by our times.” At the recently concluded “SCO+” meeting, President Xi proposed the Global Governance Initiative (GGI). Why do you think it was important to put forward this initiative at this particular moment and on this occasion? What urgency does this proposal reflect?
Yu Tiejun: President Xi Jinping has always attached great importance to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Since 2013, he has repeatedly made in-depth interpretations of the “Shanghai Spirit,” integrating China’s traditional wisdom with the latest developments in the international landscape, and continuously carrying it forward. This has made the SCO an important platform for the shaping, development, and practice of China’s vision of global governance. The recent “SCO Plus” meeting held in Tianjin included not only SCO member states, but also dialogue partners and many guests invited by the chair country, making it highly representative. Putting forward the GGI at this moment was therefore well-timed, well-suited to the circumstances, and a natural course of action.
Over the past decades, China’s domestic governance achievements in economic development, political and social stability, environmental protection, and poverty reduction have been widely recognized. Guided by the principles of inclusiveness, openness, fairness, and justice, China has consistently worked to promote global stability and prosperity. For this reason, the international community broadly looks to China to shoulder greater responsibilities in global governance and to lead the world toward stability, development and prosperity. The launch of the GGI at this juncture is a timely and positive response to these universal expectations.
The “five core concepts” of the GGI — staying committed to sovereign equality, staying committed to international rule of law, staying committed to multilateralism, staying committed to the people-centered approach, and staying committed to real results — was put forward precisely in response to these real-world challenges. Its starting point is constructive: rather than tearing everything down and starting from scratch, it seeks to reform and improve the existing systems and mechanisms so that they function more fairly, reasonably, and effectively.
China advocates improving the current global governance system and mechanisms on the basis of recognizing their existing problems. The goal is to enhance their functions and effectiveness. This represents a more prudent, strategically farsighted, rational, and pragmatic approach.
Global Times: From the vision of global governance based on extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, to the GGI, how has China’s philosophy of global governance gradually developed and taken shape? In your view, what elements of China’s fine traditional culture have been drawn upon in this process, and what advanced global governance concepts from around the world have been incorporated?
Yu Tiejun: The concept of global governance only emerged internationally in the early 1990s, and China introduced it around the mid-1990s. Since then, the idea has spread quickly, with its connotations continuing to evolve. From President Xi Jinping’s first clear proposal in 2015 of a vision of global governance based on extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, to the recent launch of the GGI, we can see that China’s philosophy of global governance has grown increasingly rich in content. The “five commitments” respectively cover the foremost premise, fundamental safeguard, basic pathway, underpinning value, and important principle of global governance, forming a highly systematic framework.
China’s excellent traditional culture has profoundly influenced the formation of its global governance philosophy. President Xi often emphasizes that the peoples of all countries share “security for all” and "we are in the same boat," meaning that the security of individuals or nations cannot be separated from collective security. This aligns with traditional Chinese cultural concepts such as “harmony is the most precious,” “harmony among all nations,” and “a just cause should be pursued for the common good.”
Traditional Chinese culture stresses self-cultivation, family governance, statecraft, and bringing peace to the world—progressing from the internal to the external, with simultaneous personal and societal refinement. This logic extends naturally from domestic governance to global governance: first manage one’s own affairs well, then promote the development of global governance. While the Chinese people pursue their own sense of security, well-being, and happiness, they also aim to contribute to global security, well-being, and happiness.
Furthermore, Chinese culture emphasizes moderation and balance, avoiding extremes. Regarding the Ukraine issue, China has consistently adopted a stance of promoting dialogue and peace, seeking a sustainable resolution to the conflict. China values the responsibilities and roles of major powers in global governance while firmly opposing hegemonism and the monopolization of international affairs by a few countries.
In short, China’s global governance philosophy is rooted deeply in traditional Chinese culture while also drawing on advanced global governance experiences. Through openness, inclusiveness, mutual learning and exchange, and integrated innovation, it has developed the GGI that both reflects the responsibilities of a major power and aligns with China’s own distinctive characteristics.
Global Times: The Concept Paper on the Global Governance Initiative proposed “staying committed to sovereign equality,” which is the foremost premise of global governance. Against the backdrop of intertwined changes and chaos in the international situation, and the increasing "decoupling” and “supply chain disruption,” why is sovereign equality the foremost premise of global governance, why is adhering to sovereign equality essential to better safeguarding international order?
Yu Tiejun: Staying committed to sovereign equality is the first of the “five core concepts” of GGI, the first of the five “commitments” and the foremost premise of global governance. This well reflected China’s stance and characteristics on global governance issues. China holds that the existing international system is still mainly composed of sovereign states, and equality among sovereign states is not only a prerequisite for the existence of states and the international system, but also the foundation for states to be actors of global governance. Without sovereign equality, the international order will fall into chaos.
Historically, equality among sovereign states has indeed been a prerequisite for the establishment of the modern international relations system. By contrast, the Western perspective on global governance places greater emphasis on the role of global “civil society” or international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), while China highlights the role and responsibility of states. The principle of sovereign equality is the core principle of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and also the primary principle China adheres to when addressing complex issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict. After the impact of globalization and decades of practice, China believes that the role of states in global governance should be strengthened rather than weakened; sovereign equality remains the foundation of the existing international system, and states are still the most important stabilizers and drivers for safeguarding the international order and improving global governance.
Global Times: The GGI marks the fourth landmark global initiative proposed by President Xi over the past several years, following the Global Development Initiative (GDI), the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI). What are the internal connections of the four initiatives? What are the relations between the initiatives and the concept of community with a shared future for humanity?
Yu Tiejun: These four initiatives each have their own focuses, complement one another, and are mutually reinforcing. The GDI mainly addresses the issue of development deficits, with a focus on the economic and social development fields; the GSI focuses on eliminating conflicts and resolving security dilemmas, centering on the political and security fields; The GCI emphasizes exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, focusing on cultural interaction rather than conflict; the GGI, proposed this year, focuses on exploring paths and methods to improve global governance through the joint efforts of all countries and multilateral mechanisms.
The four initiatives collectively serve the far-sighted goal of realizing the community with a shared future for humanity: the GDI, GSI and GCI focus on addressing issues in specific fields, while the GGI emphasizes the channels, paths, and methods to achieve these specific goals. Together, they form an integrated framework with clear objectives, distinct scopes of application, and mutual support.
To summarize the core philosophy of these four initiatives in one sentence, it would be: "To make the world a better place." How to build a better world, and how should we go about building a better world? The four initiatives, especially the GGI, essentially provide answers to this question.
Source: Global Times:
Company: Global Times
Contact Person: Anna Li
Email: editor@globaltimes.com.cn
Website: https://globaltimes.cn
City: Beijing
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